On the Way to Greatness
by Harry Flamel
Summary: After a normal, happy childhood with the Dursleys, an intelligent, powerful, ambitious Harry arrives at Hogwarts, ready to leave his mark on the wizarding world and become the greatest wizard the world has ever known. HP/DG/SB/FD/OC. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**On the Way to Greatness**

* * *

 _Synopsis: After a normal, happy childhood with the Dursleys, an intelligent, powerful, ambitious Harry arrives at Hogwarts, ready to leave his mark on the wizarding world and become the greatest wizard the world has ever known. HP/DG/SB/FD/OC. AU._

 _A/N: A few things to take notice of... First, Cedric Diggory and Roger Davies are three years younger than in canon. They are in Harry's year. In addition, Draco has an older sister, Lucretia, that is a year older than him. This story will feature a powerful, charismatic Harry, will be Harry/multi, and will be full of clichés. If that is not your cup of tea, don't read._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Petunia awoke to the sound of a baby crying. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she slid out of bed and walked to her son Dudley's room. However, as she opened the door and peered into the crib, she was shocked to see he wasn't crying. In fact, he was sound asleep.

Startled, she looked around, attempting to ascertain the origin of the sound. After a moment, she realized the cries were coming from downstairs, near the front door. She hurried down the stairs and peered out the window. To her astonishment, there was a baby, wrapped in a blanket, laying in front of the door. Quickly, she opened the door and picked up the baby, attempting to hush its cries.

As she looked at the baby, she saw a lightning shaped cut on its forehead, still bleeding. Then, she gasped as she saw the baby's bright green eyes. They were the same brilliant shade as her sister Lily's, eyes. This baby was, without a doubt, Lily's son, Harry.

She felt sick with worry when she realized who the baby was. If Harry was here, that meant something had happened to her sister. As she stepped back into the house and closed the door, she noticed an envelope tucked into the folds of the blanket. It was addressed to _Petunia Dursley, 4 Privet Drive._

Hesitantly, she opened the letter and removed the enclosed letter. She sat on the couch in the living room and placed Harry next to her. Slowly, she began to read the spidery handwriting.

 _Dear Petunia,_

 _It is my regret to inform you that earlier tonight, your sister, Lily, and her husband, James, were murdered in their home by a man known as Lord Voldemort. Your nephew, Harry, was attacked as well. For some unknown reason, Harry managed to survive the attack. In the process, Lord Voldemort was killed._

 _You and your family are the closest living relatives of young Harry. As such, guardianship of Harry falls to you. I have arranged for a payment of £1,000 to be transferred into your bank account every month to pay for any expenses you might incur. I have also set up protective wards around your house that will protect Harry and your family from any that might wish to hurt him._

 _I will be in contact over the coming weeks with more information. Once again, my deepest condolences on the passing of your sister._

 _Yours,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

Petunia clutched the letter to her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. She could not believe it. Her only sister was dead. How was this possible?

She and Lily had not always gotten along. They had experienced their fair share of fights and disagreements. For a long time, Petunia had even been jealous of Lily and her magical abilities. However, she was still her sister, and she loved her dearly. She could not believe that she was gone.

Sobs wracked her body as she began to cry uncontrollably. Suddenly, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her while she cried.

Vernon had heard the noise downstairs and had come to investigate. Seeing his wife crying, he held her to his chest while he read the letter she clutched in her hand.

"Lily's dead," Petunia sobbed. "Lily's dead."

"I know," murmured Vernon, not knowing what else to say. He looked over at the baby laying on the couch.

"That's Harry?" asked Vernon. Petunia nodded into his chest.

Vernon sighed, trying to decide what they would do with the baby. Petunia had explained to him about her sister and brother-in-law and their strange magical abilities. Vernon had tried his best to stay clear of all that nonsense. Now, their son had been forced on them!

However, as he looked down at the baby, who laying crying after witnessing the death of his parents earlier that night, he couldn't help but feel pity. He couldn't bring himself to hate an innocent child. In that moment, he decided that he would do raise this child as best he could.

Letting go of Petunia, he picked up Harry.

"Come on, Tuny," he said. "Let's go back to bed. Harry here needs to sleep."

Petunia nodded and let Vernon lead her up the stairs. Vernon first stopped at Dudley's nursery. Gently, he laid Harry in the crib next to Dudley.

"Goodnight, Harry. Goodnight, Dudley," he said softly. He quietly backed out of the room and walked to his bedroom, where Petunia sat on the bed, staring into the distance. Sighing, he pulled her back onto the bed and held her until she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

 **Ten years later…**

"Harry! Dudley! Breakfast is ready!" Petunia called from downstairs.

"Coming!" yelled Harry, who was buttoning up the last few buttons of his shirt. Just then, his bedroom door burst open to reveal his cousin Dudley.

"Happy birthday, cousin!" Dudley exclaimed. He ran into the room, put Harry in a headlock, and messed up his hair.

"Dud, let go!" exclaimed Harry. "I just combed my hair!"

Dudley just laughed, let Harry go, and ran out of the bedroom in the direction of the kitchen.

Harry shook his head in exasperation. He grabbed a comb and ran it through his hair once more. Once he was presentable, he walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" Petunia exclaimed when Harry entered the kitchen. "Eleven years old!"

"Thanks, Aunt Petunia," said Harry respectfully as he sat down at the table. Petunia placed a plate in front of him full of pancakes and eggs.

"Eat up!" she said. "It's going to be a big day!" Harry nodded and began to eat.

Almost ten years had passed since that fateful night when Harry had been left on the Dursleys' doorstep. Since then, Petunia and Vernon had done their best to raise him as their own son, along with their biological son, Dudley.

Harry had exceled in his 10 years at #4 Privet Drive. Soon after he arrived at Privet Drive, he began to talk. It was then that the Dursleys began to notice Harry's keen intelligence. As the months passed, his vocabulary continued to grow. By age 3, Harry had already learned how to read, years before other kids his age.

The Dursleys were also astounded by Harry's incredible memory. It seemed he could read any book and remember exactly what he had read, and on which page the information was located. This memory, combined with his new ability to read, led to a voracious appetite for books and information. Harry would constantly check out stacks of books from the local library in order to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.

When Harry finally started school, his teachers were astounded at his intelligence. He was years ahead of the other kids in the class, many of whom were still learning to read. In order to keep him busy, the teachers would continue giving him harder and harder material. However, it never seemed difficult enough. Harry seemed to soak up information and knowledge like a sponge.

By the time Harry reached 10 years old, he was on the same level as many university students. He spoke several different languages fluently, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian. He was a prodigy in every sense of the word. He was not, however, only focused on academics. He also became very involved in athletics.

Years earlier, Petunia had noticed Dudley and Harry getting into physical fights quite often. In order to stop this behavior, she had quickly gotten the two involved in various sports. The two practiced martial arts together, and both exceled. Petunia also signed Harry up for a local football team. Harry took to football like a fish to water. He was currently the captain of his youth football team and had been offered football scholarships by several prestigious private schools. He was also well-liked by many of the children at his school.

Just then, Vernon walked into the kitchen, reading through the stack of mail in his hands. Suddenly, he froze and grabbed a piece of mail out of the stack. He looked at Petunia and said simply, "It's here."

"What's here?" Harry asked respectfully.

Vernon turned and looked at him. "Your Hogwarts letter," he replied. He held the letter out to Harry, who jumped out of his seat and excitedly grabbed the letter. He ripped the envelope open, took out the letter inside, and began to read.

 _*HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at_ _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ _. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on_ _1 September_ _. We await your owl by no later than_ _31 July_ _._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

 _UNIFORM_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _1\. Three sets of plain work_ _robes_ _(black)_

 _2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _3\. One pair of protective gloves (_ _dragon_ _hide or similar)_

 _4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

 _COURSE BOOKS_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells_ _(Grade 1) by_ _Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic_ _by_ _Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory_ _by_ _Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ _by_ _Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ _by_ _Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions_ _by_ _Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ _by_ _Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ _by_ _Quentin Trimble_

 _OTHER EQUIPMENT_

 _1_ _wand_

 _1_ _cauldron_ _(pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1_ _telescope_

 _1 set_ _brass scales_

 _Students may also bring, if they desire, an_ _owl_ _OR a_ _cat_ _OR a_ _toad_ _._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

 _ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK_

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus_

 _Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions_ _*_

Harry looked up from reading the letter with a huge grin on his face.

"It's finally here!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

Petunia smiled softly. She remembered when Lily had received her own Hogwarts letter. She had a very similar reaction.

Years earlier, Petunia and Vernon made the decision to tell Harry about his special abilities, as well as the truth about his parents and his heritage. As a young child, Harry had many bouts of accidental magic. Vernon and Petunia were patient and endured his displays of magic.

However, his accidental magic became an issue when he went to school for the first time and was still unable to control it. In one instance, he had turned his teacher's hair neon blue. It had been very difficult for the Dursleys to convince the teacher that it had been a freak accident.

After that incident, Vernon and Petunia sat Harry down and explained to him about magic and the magical world. However, they also asked him to make an effort to control his magic. Although he was only a child, Harry understood completely and was able to control his accidental magic from then on, a feat almost unheard of in magical children.

Since that day, Harry had been looking forward to the day when he would be able to go to Hogwarts and finally use his powers. It seemed that day had finally arrived.

"When can I go pick up my school supplies?" he asked immediately, looking at Petunia.

"Finish your breakfast, brush your teeth, and I will drop you off at the Leaky Cauldron," said Petunia. They had already decided that Harry would go alone into Diagon Alley. Petunia and Vernon were uncomfortable around magic, and Diagon Alley brought back unpleasant memories for Petunia.

Harry nodded eagerly and began to eat as quickly as possible. In minutes, he was finished. He raced upstairs and brushed his teeth as fast as possible. He ran back downstairs and waited for his aunt.

Trying to hide her amusement, Petunia grabbed the keys to the car and ushered Harry out the door. Soon, they had arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, which Petunia remembered from decades earlier when her parents had taken Lily to purchase her school supplies.

"Remember to go to the bank first," Petunia instructed. "Dumbledore said your parents left you money there. Also, try and see what other wizarding families you might be related to," she said mysteriously.

Harry nodded in understanding. Years earlier, Petunia had told Harry one of the Evans family secrets. Lily had actually been adopted as a baby. Petunia remembered the day that her parents brought her home from the hospital, where she had been abandoned. Petunia's parents never even told Lily that she had been adopted. However, Petunia suspected that Lily was actually from a wizarding family, and she wanted Harry to be able to find that family.

Finally, Harry got out of the car, waving at Petunia as she drove away. "I'll pick you up at 4:00," she yelled.

Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron and walked up to the barman, who was busy drying glasses.

"Excuse me," said Harry politely. "Would you mind showing me how to get into Diagon Alley?"

The barman looked down at him. "Muggleborn, eh? Of course, come right this way," he said in a booming voice. "The name's Tom, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Tom," said Harry politely. Soon, they arrived at a brick wall. Tom took out his wand and tapped the wall in a strange pattern. Suddenly, the bricks shifted and revealed Diagon Alley.

Harry looked around in awe. Tom chuckled and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Have fun kid," he said.

Harry stepped forward and looked around. In the distance, he said a large white building.

 _That looks like a bank,_ he thought to himself and began walking toward it.

When he arrived, he saw a sign on the front that read _Gringotts, Wizarding Bank._ Smiling, Harry climbed up the steps gracefully. As he walked through the doors, he saw tall, marble counters lining each wall. Sitting at these counters were strange creatures who were counting money.

 _Those must be the goblins Aunt Petunia mentioned,_ Harry thought.

Harry continued walking until he reached the front counter. The goblin was busy reading some documents, so Harry waited respectfully. However, the goblin continued to ignore his presence. Finally, Harry forcefully cleared his throat, which caused the goblin to look at him over his glasses.

"Excuse me," Harry said. "My name is Harry Potter. I was told that my parents left me money before I died. I want to make a withdrawal."

The goblin leaned over the counter and peered at Harry, who noticed the goblin looking at his scar.

"Very well, we will see about that," said the goblin. "Griphook, take him to see the Potter Account Manager."

A goblin at the side of the counter stepped forward and motioned for Harry to follow, which he did. They made their way farther into Gringotts. After a moment, they arrived at a door with a sign that read _Bogrod: Potter Account Manager_. Griphook knocked and opened the door to reveal a goblin sitting at a desk.

"Bogrod, this wizard claims to be Harry Potter and is making an inquiry about his accounts," said Griphook.

"Let him in," said the goblin. Harry walked in and sat in a chair in front of the desk.

"So you are Harry Potter?" said the goblin snarkily. "First you must prove it." He withdrew a small dagger from his desk as well as a piece of parchment. "I need one drop of blood on this parchment to prove your identity," he said.

Harry nodded and gulped nervously. He grabbed the dagger and gently pricked his thumb, allowing a drop of blood to coalesce on his fingertip. He then pressed his thumb to the parchment and waited. Within a few seconds, blood red letters began to form on the page. They read: _Harry James Potter._

"Very well," said the goblin gruffly. "What business do you have with Gringotts today, Mr. Potter?"

"I was told my parents left me money here," said Harry. "I want to know how to access it."

"Do you have your vault key?" the goblin asked.

Harry shook his head. "I was never given a vault key," he said.

"That is a problem," said the goblin, writing notes on a parchment. "We will have to recall all keys to your vaults and issue you a new key. The cost will be 15 Galleons."

Harry nodded. "How much is a Galleon, sir?" he asked.

"A Galleon is the main currency in the magical world," said the goblin. "It is equivalent to about 5 pounds. There are also 17 Sickles in a Galleon and 29 Knuts in a Sickle," he explained.

Harry nodded, running through the information in his head.

"Okay, I will pay the fee," said Harry. "How much money do I have in my vault?"

Bogrod shuffled through a stack of papers until pulling one out and handing it to Harry. "This is a summary of your account and holdings," he explained.

Harry took a look at it and his eyes bulged open in shock. According to the document, he had several vaults with over 50 million Galleons in liquid assets, as well as stakes in numerous businesses and extensive real estate holdings.

Noticing his surprise, the goblin spoke up. "The Potters are a very old, very wealthy family," he explained. "I have been managing the Potter estate since the death of your parents 10 years ago, and I have managed to modestly increase your wealth."

Harry nodded in shock. He would have to examine his accounts more fully when he got home. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the goblin.

"It seems you have done a good job in managing the estate," he said. Bogrod nodded, enjoying the compliment.

"I have another question, however. Is it possible to see if I am related to any other wizarding families?" Harry asked.

Bogrod nodded. "Yes, Gringotts offers a comprehensive inheritance test for a fee of 50 Galleons."

Harry glanced at his account summary. Fifty Galleons was pocket change. "Okay, I wish to do the inheritance test."

Bogrod opened his desk drawer and withdrew another piece of parchment. "Very well," he said. "Use the dagger again. This time we will need 10 drops of your blood on this parchment."

Harry grabbed the dagger and cut his finger a little more deeply. He held it over the parchment and let 10 drops fall. Nothing happened for several moments. Finally, words began to appear on the parchment.

 _Harry James Potter_

 _Father: James Charlus Potter_

 _Mother: Lily Vinda Potter née Black_

 _Paternal Grandparents:_

 _Charlus Potter_

 _Dorea Potter née Black_

 _Maternal Grandparents:_

 _Orion Black_

 _Vinda Rosier_

 _Potential Titles:_

 _Lord Potter_

 _Lord Black_

 _Lord Rosier_

"Fascinating," said the goblin mysteriously. He got up, opened the door, and walked into the hall. "Bring me the account managers for the Black and Rosier families," Harry heard him say.

"What does this mean?" asked Harry in confusion.

"It means that you are a very interesting customer," said the goblin. "It seems your mother was not a Muggleborn, as everyone assumed. She was the daughter of Orion Black and Vinda Rosier. However, Orion Black was married to Walburga Black and had two sons with her: Sirius Orion and Regulus Arcturus. It seems that Orion had a secret affair with Vinda Rosier, which resulted in the birth of your mother. It also appears that your mother was given to a Muggle family to be raised because Orion and Vinda did not want their relationship to become public knowledge."

Harry nodded. It seemed Aunt Petunia's suspicions were correct.

"What are these potential titles?" Harry asked.

"That is the best part," the goblin said. "By completing the Last Son Rite, you are eligible to become Lord Potter, Lord Black, and Lord Rosier. Orion Black was the previous Lord Black and he died five years ago. The only surviving male Black, Sirius Black, died in Azkaban prison two years ago. Because of your mother and your paternal grandmother who was also a Black, you are the next in line to inherit the title of Lord Black. Finally, the last member of the Rosier family died over a decade ago and you are the next in line because of your maternal grandmother."

Harry sat back, shocked by all of the information.

"Are these titles significant in the wizarding world?" Harry asked.

The goblin snorted. "Very. The Black, Potter, and Rosier families are some of the wealthiest families in magical Britain. They all hold seats on the Wizengamot."

Suddenly, they were interrupted as the door opened and two more goblins walked in.

"What is so important?" one of them asked. Bogrod merely handed them the inheritance test. As they read, their faces broke into toothy smiles.

"Very good," one of them said. "Shall we complete the process?"

Bogrod nodded and turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, these are the account managers for the Black and Rosier families. Are you ready to assume these titles? Because you are the last member of each of these families, you can take up these titles immediately and gain access to all of their vaults. However, you will not be able to take your seat on the Wizengamot until you reach the age of 15. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. Everything was going so fast, but he knew that this was the right thing to do. He wanted to represent his family, even if he didn't know they existed until today.

Bogrod smiled and grabbed a box from his desk. Inside, there was a flash of light which quickly faded. The goblin opened the box to reveal three gold rings, each with a different coat of arms inscribed on it.

"Merely put these rings on," instructed the goblin.

Harry nodded. He reached into the box and put on each ring, one by one. Nothing happened for a moment until suddenly, there was a flash of light in the room. Harry felt a rush of energy go through him. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.

Harry looked at the goblins and found them grinning.

"Excellent," said one of the goblins. "You are now known as Lord Potter-Black-Rosier."

Two of the goblins reached into the stacks of papers they were carrying and handed several documents to Harry. "These are the account summaries for the Black and Rosier families," one said.

Harry took a quick look and was shocked. These families were even wealthier than the Potter family. He would have to take a much deeper look when he got home.

Suddenly, another goblin burst into the room carrying more papers, who handed them to the three goblins already present. "These were just activated," he said in explanation, before hurrying from the room. The three account managers quickly read through the papers as toothy grins appeared on their faces.

"It appears that you are tied to some marriage contracts," Bogrod said. "It seems there was a marriage contract written between the Potter family and the Bones family several centuries ago. It has just been activated by your ascension as Lord Potter. It seems you are contracted to marry one Susan Bones."

"Indeed, there is also a marriage contract between the Black Family and the Greengrass family, concerning Lord Potter Black Rosier and one Daphne Greengrass," another goblin said.

"There is yet another contract between the Rosier family and the Malfoy family," another goblin replied. "Lord Potter Black Rosier is contracted to marry one Lucretia Malfoy, eldest daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

Harry gulped nervously. "Marriage contract? What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that you must marry whoever it says in the contract, or lose your magic and your life," said one goblin savagely.

"Wait! I have to marry those girls or I will lose my magic and die?" asked Harry in a panic.

"Yes, that is the essence of it," said Bogrod. "The good news is that you don't have to marry them until you are 20 years of age. You have nine years to prepare."

Harry sat down in a panic. Noticing his panic, Bogrod spoke up.

"It seems that all three girls are very near your age," the goblin said. "I suggest contacting them when you reach Hogwarts, as it is likely all three will be studying there. Gringotts will notify the families of the activation of the contract, so the girls should already be aware.'

Harry nodded dumbly, still trying to process all of the information. He was betrothed to three girls?

"Is there anything else you need from Gringotts?" one of the goblins asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, can I withdraw money to make some purchases?" he asked.

The goblin nodded. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a black pouch.

"This is a money pouch," the goblin said. "It is connected to your trust vault. Any money you take out of this pouch will be withdrawn from your trust vault."

"I understand," said Harry. He had a desire to visit his vaults and look around, but that would have to wait for another day. He had a lot to do still.

He thanked the goblins for their help and exited the bank. As he reentered Diagon Alley, he pulled out his Hogwarts letter with the list of needed supplies.

First on the list was the uniform. A few stores down, he spotted a sign that said _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions._ Harry walked towards the shop and went in.

He was immediately met by a plump, older woman.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the woman asked.

"I need to purchase a Hogwarts uniform," Harry said simply.

"Of course. Step right up here and we will take your measurements," the woman said kindly. As she measured him, she noticed the rings he wore on his right hand and her eyes widened in shock.

"If you are interested, my lord, we also offer more expensive robes and dress robes that we can embroider with the coat of arms of your families," she suggested.

Harry thought about it. He had plenty of money, and it sounded like a good idea.

"I am in need of a completely new wardrobe," said Harry. "I trust your judgment in choosing which robes would look best. However, I would like the robes embroidered with the Potter, Black, and Rosier coats of arms."

Madam Malkin's eyes widened even further as she realized that her client was Harry Potter.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. It would be my pleasure."

An hour later, Harry walked out of the shop with numerous bags on his arms. He had purchased the Hogwarts uniform and several dress robes for formal occasions.

After Madam Malkin's, he went to the trunk shop, where he purchased an expensive trunk with numerous expanded compartments that could even serve as a small apartment. Harry thought it would come in handy, especially if he ever had to travel.

He also stopped by the potions ingredients shop, where he bought an expensive potions kit. He enjoyed cooking, which he assumed was somewhat similar to potions, so he wanted to be able to practice a lot.

After the potions shop, he set off to find a wand. As he wandered down the Alley, however, he noticed a store to his life called _Magical Menagerie._ Numerous cages of pets were on display in front of the store. Intrigued, Harry made a detour to check it out.

As he looked at the cages, he discovered numerous strange types of cats, toads, snakes, and other animals that he didn't recognize. As he neared the bank of the store, he felt a pull coming from a glass container on the bank wall. He approached it and found a single white egg inside.

Harry looked to the side and found the shopkeeper cleaning a cage.

"Excuse me," Harry said politely. "What is this egg?"

The shopkeeper looked surprised. "That is supposed to be a phoenix egg," he replied. "It's been in my family for centuries, but it has never hatched. I imagine it's not actually a phoenix, just a joke made up by one of my ancestors."

Just then, they heard a loud cracking noise. Harry turned to look at the egg and was surprised to see a large crack running down it.

"Impossible!" the shopkeeper exclaimed, scrambling to Harry's side. As they watched, the egg continued hatching. Little by little, a small, golden bird emerged from the egg.

"A golden phoenix! Merlin's beard!" exclaimed the shopkeeper, obviously in shock. The tiny phoenix struggled to its feet, looked directly at Harry, and gave a small chirp.

"It hatched for you!" the shopkeeper concluded. He opened the glass case and gestured to Harry. "Go ahead, pick it up!"

Harry reached in his arms and gently scooped up the small phoenix. As he did so, he felt a surge of magic run through his body.

"My word! I think you just bonded! It must be your familiar!" said the shopkeeper. "I cannot believe this is happening!"

Harry stroked the phoenix's head. "Her name is Corona," Harry said suddenly. He was unsure where the name came from, but it felt right.

Just then, the phoenix chirped and disappeared in a ball of fire.

"There she goes," said the shopkeeper. "She'll be back, though," he added, seeing Harry's worried expression. "She will always come back to you, wherever you are."

"How much do I owe you?" asked Harry.

"A thousand Galleons," said the shopkeeper. "It's very expensive, but my ancestors went to great lengths to obtain that egg."

A little dismayed, Harry withdrew the money from his pouch and handed it to the shopkeeper. He left the shop excited about his new phoenix.

Harry returned to the alley and found a shop called _Ollivander's Wands._ He entered the shop but found it empty. He stepped up to the counter and rung the bell there. Immediately, a gray-haired old man emerged from the back of the shop.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. I wondered when I would be seeing you," he said mysteriously. "I am Garrick Ollivander. I assume you are here for your wand?"

Harry nodded.

"I remember when your parents came in for their wands. Your father's was 11 inches, mahogany, with a dragon heartstring core. Your mother's was 10 and a quarter inches, willow, with a unicorn tail hair. I wonder what yours will be. Step up here and let us find you a wand!" Ollivander said enthusiastically.

He went to the back of the shop and emerged with a stack of thin boxes. He opened the first one, withdrew a wand, and gave it to Harry.

"Well, give it a wave!" he said to Harry, who hesitantly waved it. Immediately, a glass vase shattered.

"No, not that one," he said, taking it back. Harry continued trying the wands that Ollivander gave him, but to no success.

Finally, Ollivander handed him a final wand. "I wonder…" he whispered as he handed it to Harry. "Holly and phoenix feather."

Immediately, the wand felt hot in Harry's hand like it was burning him. He dropped it immediately, unwilling to touch it again.

"How curious!" Ollivander exclaimed. "I was sure that would be the right match for you."

Just then, a ball of flame popped into existence on Harry's shoulder, which dissipated into his new golden phoenix, Corona. Ollivander's eyes widened in shock.

"Is that your phoenix?" he asked Harry.

"Yes, this is Corona," Harry replied. "She just hatched for me a few minutes ago."

Ollivander face erupted in glee. "Mr. Potter, you are a fascinating customer. If you would, I would like to craft a wand for you."

Harry nodded his assent, to Ollivander's happiness.

"I would also like to know if your young phoenix would like to donate a tail feather for wand," he said, looking at the phoenix. The phoenix chirped, almost as if she understood the wandmaker, and shook her feathers. A single feather came loose and floated onto the counter.

"My word," said Ollivander.

"What is so exciting?" asked Harry.

"The younger a phoenix is when it donates a tailfeather, the more powerful the wand that contains it will be," Ollivander explained. "Your phoenix is only a few minutes old – I imagine that your wand will be exceptionally powerful."

Harry smiled, excited at the prospect. He grabbed the tailfeather and followed Ollivander into the back of the store. Strange glass bottles and wood blocks littered the tables and countertops. Ollivander guided Harry in front of table covered with wood blocks.

"I want you to feel these wood blocks and tell me if any of them feel special," he instructed Harry. He nodded and began touching the wood. After several tries, he paused on a particular block.

"This feels really warm," he said.

"Curious indeed," murmured Ollivander. "Wood from an elder tree. You are a fascinating customer. I think I have all I need. Return in an hour and your wand will be ready for you."

Harry nodded and exited the shop. While he waited, he stopped by Flourish and Blotts. He was amazed by the sheer number of books as he walked into the bookstore. He immediately found the textbooks listed on his Hogwarts letter. However, he also purchased several books that the shopkeeper had recommended for someone new to the wizarding world. He left the bookstore several hundred Galleons lighter with several bags of books put into his shrunken trunk.

An hour had passed, so he returned to the wand shop, where Ollivander waited for him with a wand in his hands. He reverently handed it to Harry, who gripped it tightly. He immediately felt an intense surge of magical energy rush through him, similar to when his phoenix had bonded with him. The magic dissipated finally, and Harry found Ollivander staring at him in awe.

"That is undoubtedly the most powerful wand I have ever created," Ollivander admitted. "You are destined for great things, Mr. Potter."

Harry thanked him for his wand, paid him, and left the shop. He hurried back to the Leaky Cauldron, where his aunt was waiting to pick him up.

* * *

For the next month, Harry read as much as he could about the wizarding world. He read through all of the introductory books that had been recommended to him. He studied the history of magical Britain, including a detailed history of the major pureblood families. He read about pureblood social customs and what was expected of him as a lord of three major houses. He learned about the structure of the government and what role he would one day play.

He also studied the account summaries and ledgers that he had received from Gringotts. He learned that he was now very rich. He owned several billion Galleons, as well as numerous manors and properties across Britain and the world. He would never have to worry about money in his life.

He kept Corona with him in his room. He had purchased a small perch for her, as well as a book about phoenixes. She had grown considerably in only a month and would continue to grow until her first burning day.

Most importantly, he read about magic. He devoured the textbooks assigned for the upcoming year, soaking up every single word. He committed it all to memory, but he couldn't wait to actually try it out when he got to Hogwarts. He was accustomed to being the best student in school. He would do everything he could to ensure that continued at Hogwarts.

Finally, September 1 arrived. Harry loaded his trunk into the car and the Dursleys drove him to the train station. Instead of dropping him off, they surprised him and decided to walk him all the way to the platform

They arrived at Platform 9 and Harry looked around in confusion, unable to locate Platform 9 ¾. Petunia tapped his shoulder and pointed at a solid brick wall.

"It's through that wall," she explained. "You have to run through it. Apparently, it's just an illusion. Your mother had to do the same thing."

Harry gulped, unsure about the whole thing. He turned to the Dursleys.

"Thanks for everything," Harry said. "I'll see you in a few months!"

Petunia gave him a hug. "You will do great," she assured him.

Dudley was next and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "You'd better show those wizards who's boss!" he exclaimed.

Finally, Vernon came up and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Work hard and you'll do great," he said.

Harry nodded and said goodbye for the final time. He turned back towards the brick wall. He took a deep breath and trotted towards the wall. Instead of hitting it, he continued moving forward until he arrived on another platform, full of people.

A red and black train stood on the tracks. Written on its side were the words _Hogwarts Express._

Harry grinned. He had made it. He made his way to the train, grabbed his trunk, and stepped on. He walked down the hall, looking for an empty compartment. Finally, he managed to find an empty compartment. He walked in, stowed his trunk, and sat down. He stared out the window, watching all of the kids saying goodbye to their families.

His attention was diverted by a knocking on the door. He turned to see a young boy who looked to be his age. He had platinum blonde hair that was slicked back.

"Mind if I sit here?" the boy asked Harry.

"Not at all," said Harry, motioning to the empty seat.

The boy entered the compartment and sat down across from Harry. He extended his hand to Harry. "I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy."

Harry's eyes widened. "Are you by chance related to Lucretia Malfoy?" he asked as he shook Draco's hand.

"Yeah, Lucretia is my older sister," Draco said. "She's a second year. Why do you ask?"

"Because my name is Harry Potter Black Rosier," Harry said. "I am betrothed to your sister."

Draco's eyes widened at the revelation. "You're Harry Potter?" he exclaimed. His eyes flicked to Harry's forehead for confirmation. "I can't believe it! We are going to be family!"

Harry chuckled at Draco's enthusiasm. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Draco."

They were interrupted by another knocking on the door. They turned to see two boys standing there, trunks in hand.

"Do you mind if we sit with you guys?" one of the boys said. "Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all," said Harry. The two boys shuffled in and sat down.

"Thanks," the first boy said. "My name is Roger Davies." He was well-built with brown hair and brown eyes.

"And I'm Cedric Diggory," said the other boy.

"No problem," said Harry. "This is Draco Malfoy," he said, gesturing to Draco. "And I am Harry Potter Black Rosier."

"Wicked," said Roger. "Are you first years as well?" Harry and Draco nodded.

"Wicked," Roger said again. "What houses do you reckon you'll be sorted into?"

Draco spoke up immediately. "Slytherin, of course. My family has been in Slytherin for centuries."

Harry smiled and replied. "I am not sure, to be honest. Both my parents were in Gryffindor, but most of my grandparents were in Slytherin. But I think I might end up in Ravenclaw."

Draco gave him a confused look. "What do you mean most of your grandparents were in Slytherin? I thought your mother was a Muggleborn?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "My mother was Muggle raised, but she was actually a pureblood," he explained. "Her father was Orion Black and her mother was Vinda Rosier. They gave her to a Muggle family to be raised without anyone knowing."

All three boys' mouths hung open in shock.

"That's insane!" said Cedric, who was obviously familiar with pureblood history. "Lily Potter was the daughter of Orion Black and Vinda Rosier? Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," said Harry. He lifted his hand and showed them the three rings he was wearing. Their eyes bulged out of their heads in shock.

"You are the lord of three families?" exclaimed Roger.

"Yep," said Harry cooling, reveling in the attention. "Potter, Black, and Rosier."

"Wicked," said Draco. "Welcome to the family."

Harry rolled his eyes. It was obvious that Draco was excited to have such a powerful brother-in-law.

"Family?" asked Cedric in confusion.

"Harry is betrothed to my sister Lucretia," Draco bragged.

"Wicked," said Roger yet again.

Harry shook his head in amusement. "So what Quidditch teams do you cheer for?" he asked the boys, trying to change the topic of conversation.

"I'm Puddlemere United, through and through," said Draco proudly.

"No way, me too!" exclaimed Cedric.

"Me three!" shouted Roger.

"Me four!" exclaimed Harry.

"Wicked!" laughed Roger. "We are all Puddlemere fans!"

With that, the boys began discussing their favorite players and the upcoming Puddlemere season. They became so excited that they didn't even notice the train leave London and head into the countryside.

They were in the middle of a game of exploding snap when they heard a knock. The door opened to reveal a pretty girl with long blonde hair and icy blue eyes.

"Draco," she said coldly. "Did you steal my snack money?"

"No!" exclaimed Draco quickly. He suddenly looked at Harry with a smirk. "Hey Lucretia, guess who this is?" he said, pointing to Harry.

The blonde girl, who Harry assumed was Lucretia Malfoy, turned to look at him. After a second, she noticed his scar and her eyes widened in recognition. Feeling the need to act, Harry got to his feet, gently grabbed her hand and lightly kissed it, like he had read in the books about pureblood customs.

"I am Harry Potter Black Rosier," Harry said, standing up straight. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady."

Lucretia looked caught off guard for a second before she quickly regained control of her emotions. "The pleasure is mine, my lord. I am Lucretia Malfoy," she said formally, slightly bowing her head.

Harry finally released her hand, realizing that he had been holding it this whole time.

"Did you know Harry's mom was really the daughter of Orion Black and Vinda Rosier?" Draco blurted out with another smirk on his face.

"Manners, Draco!" chastised Lucretia before turning to Harry. "Is that true?" she asked.

"Yes, my lady," Harry replied formally.

"Interesting," Lucretia muttered softly, still eyeing Harry. "I am sorry you have to sit with my brother. He can be quite annoying."

Harry chuckled lightly. "He has been great so far," he said, earning a grin from Draco.

"Be that as it may, I still want my snack money!" she said angrily, glaring at Draco.

"I told you I didn't take it! Maybe you should keep better track of your things!" exclaimed Draco, which caused Lucretia to glare at him even more.

"Here, take some of mine," said Harry, grabbing a handful of Galleons out of his pocket and offering them to Lucretia. She looked at him in surprise.

"I can't take that," she said uncertainly.

"Of course you can. I insist," said Harry, pressing the coins into her hand. "I have more than enough to spare."

"Thank you," she said softly, still looking at him as if she were trying to figure him out. She took a step backward, heading back to her own compartment. "Let's talk later," she said before turning around and walking away.

Harry closed the compartment door and sat down again.

"Way to go, Harry!" Draco exclaimed, slapping Harry on the shoulder.

"What just happened?" asked Cedric, confused.

"What happened is that my sister is into Harry!" Draco exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry.

"I've never seen Lucretia act like that around a guy," said Draco. "Usually they can't even get her attention. But she couldn't stop looking at you! And she was nervous!"

Harry shook his head. "I don't think it's that simple," he said.

"Let's finish the game," said Roger. With that, they resumed their game of exploding snap. Before they knew it, they were arriving at Hogsmeade Station. They quickly changed into their Hogwarts uniforms and filed out of the train.

"Firs' years, over here!" they heard a booming voice yell. "Firs' years, follow me!"

The voice belonged to a massive man who was swinging a lantern. The four boys walked over to him and followed him as he led them to the lake. The four friends got into a boat together as they started sailing across the lake. After several moments, the castle came into view.

"Wicked!" exclaimed Roger.

Harry's breath was taken away as he saw the magnificent castle illuminated by numerous torches. It was more than he could have ever imagined.

After a few more minutes, the boats arrived at the shore, where an older, stern looking woman was waiting for them.

"My name is Professor McGonagall. Please follow me," she said tersely. They all jumped out of their boats and followed her throughout the castle, until they reached a pair of massive doors. As they waited in front of the doors, McGonagall explained to them the house system and how they would be sorted into their respective houses.

Finally, she opened the doors and led them into the Great Hall, where the rest of the school was waiting. They gathered at the front of the hall, in front of a stool with a hat on it. Suddenly, the hat began moving, and more surprising, singing. It sang of the different houses and the qualities embodied by each one.

The sorting hat finished its song and Professor McGonagall opened the scroll that contained the list of names.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A short girl with dirty blonde hair walked up to the stool and had the hat placed on her head. After a few moments, the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Next, McGonagall called, "Bones, Susan!"

Harry immediately craned his head, trying to get a better look at the girl. This was one of his future wives, after all. She was a very pretty girl with beautiful red hair. Harry was impressed.

Susan sat on the stool with the hat on her head. After a few long moments of deliberation, the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Susan took off the hat and walked over to the Hufflepuff table with a smile on her face.

A few names later, McGonagall called, "Davies, Roger!"

Harry clapped Roger on the shoulder in encouragement. Roger nervously walked up to the stool and placed the hat on his head. Almost immediately, the hat yelled, "RAVENCLAW!"

Harry was surprised as Roger sat down at the Ravenclaw table. He had not been expecting that.

Next up was Cedric. He sat on the stool for over a minute before the hat called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Several names later, Harry's interest was piqued again. McGonagall called out, "Greengrass, Daphne!"

Another one of Harry's future wives walked up the steps and sat down on the stool. She had beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. After a short moment, the hat called out, "SLYTHERIN!" Daphne walked to the Slytherin table with a smile on her face, obviously happy with the choice.

A few minutes later, Draco's name was called. Harry gave him a smile of encouragement as the hat was placed on his head. Almost as soon as the it touched his head, the hat yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

With a smirk on his face, Draco strutted over to the Slytherin table.

Harry waited patiently as several other students were sorted. Then, his turn finally arrived.

"Potter Black Rosier, Harry," called out McGonagall, although it was easy to hear the shock and surprise in her voice at his new last name.

Whispers immediately began spreading throughout the Great Hall. The boy who lived was finally at Hogwarts. Not only that, his last name was Potter Black Rosier!

The whispers only increased in volume as Harry walked up the steps. He stood up straight and kept his head high, trying to act confident like the pureblood lords he had read about in the books he had bought.

He sat down on the stool. He noticed Professor McGonagall had a concerned look on her face as he placed the hat on his head.

" _Hmm, difficult. Very difficult,"_ Harry heard a voice in his mind say. " _Plenty of courage and loyalty. And yes, my goodness, plenty of ambition here. You would do well in Slytherin. But, oh my, what a great mind. With that intellect, there is only one place for you."_

 _"_ _RAVENCLAW!"_ he heard the hat yell aloud.

Harry gave a sigh of relief as he took the hat off his head and walked down to the Ravenclaw table. He sat next to Roger, who clapped him on the shoulder in excitement. The rest of the Ravenclaw table was ecstatic as well – they were clapping and cheering madly. The rest of the hall, however, was shocked by the news. After a few moments of surprise, the other houses burst into excited whispers and murmurs.

Harry looked back to the front of the Great Hall. He saw the headmaster looking back at him with a confused look. Professor McGonagall looked like she had swallowed something sour.

Harry turned his head and saw Draco grinning at him from the Slytherin table, giving him a thumbs up. Near him, he saw Daphne Greengrass giving him an appraising look. Harry smiled politely at her, causing her to blush and look away.

The sorting ended soon after Harry's name was called, to the relief of the entire school. Soon, Dumbledore caused the food to appear, which made Harry's eyes widen in shock.

The feast was fantastic. Harry gorged himself on the endless amount of food at the table. As he ate, he introduced himself to some of the new Ravenclaw first years sitting around him: Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Su Li, and Padma Patil.

Roger was especially happy that Harry had been sorted into Ravenclaw. "This is going to be great!" he told Harry happily. "Both of us in Ravenclaw! I bet Cedric and Draco are jealous!" Harry chuckled, amused by Roger's enthusiasm.

Soon, the meal ended, and the prefects led the first years up to the Ravenclaw common room. They demonstrated how to they had to answer a riddle before the door would open. Harry was especially pleased with this – it would constantly test his intellect.

The common room was filled with bookshelves, comfortable couches and chairs for reading, and numerous tables to do homework. Harry stared in awe at all of the books – he knew he had been sorted into the right house.

After a short speech from the prefects, they climbed the stairs to the first-year dormitories. To his surprise, his trunk and belongings were already laying at the foot of his bed. Next to his bed, his phoenix perch had already been set up and Corona was perched there.

"Corona!" Harry exclaimed as he walked up to the phoenix and began stroking her feathers.

The rest of the first-year boys looked at him in shock.

"Harry, that's a phoenix!" Roger exclaimed behind him.

"I know," replied Harry sarcastically. "Her name is Corona. She is my familiar."

"You have a phoenix familiar?" asked Michael Corner, another one of the first years.

"Yeah, she hatched for me," said Harry as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Wicked," said Roger, using his favorite word. Suddenly, his attention was diverted. "Look, Harry, my bed is right next to yours!"

Indeed, Roger's bed was just to the left of Harry's bed.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you," joked Harry as he sat on his bed.

The boys quickly got ready for bed. As Harry lay in his bed, trying to fall asleep, he smiled to himself. He was finally at Hogwarts, and the best was yet to come.

* * *

 ***From Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone***


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Harry awoke early the next morning, well before any of the other first year boys awoke. He quickly showered and got ready, and then sat on his bed, meditating. He had been practicing meditation for over two years now, ever since he had read about it in a book about Asian cultures.

When he heard Roger starting to stir next to him, he ended his meditation.

Roger slowly woke up and rubbed his drowsy eyes.

"Blimey, Harry, what time did you get up?" Roger asked in a sleepy voice.

"A couple of hours ago," replied Harry. "I'm an early riser."

Roger shook his head in confusion. "You're barmy."

Harry just smiled. While the rest of the boys got ready, Harry proceeded to organize his personal things. He had his very own desk next to his bed upon which he stacked his various books neatly. His expensive trunk that he had bought already did a great job of storing and organizing his clothes, so there was no need for him to take the clothes out.

After he was done organizing, he continued to review the account statements and holdings summaries from his various accounts at Gringotts. He owned numerous properties, including Potter Manor, Black Manor, and Rosier Manor, as well as dozens of additional homes in Britain, chateaus in France, and vacation homes across Europe and the world. Harry wanted to ensure that each of these properties was in good shape, in case he ever wanted to visit or even live there for a time. He wrote to his account managers, asking for an inspection and evaluation of each property.

Harry also owned interests in numerous wizard companies, including a minority share in the Daily Prophet, the Nimbus Racing Company, and Butterbeer, as well as a 100% stake in Sleekeazy Hair Potion, which had been started by his grandfather. In addition, it seemed that his mother had made investments in several small Muggle technology companies that had grown exponentially since her death. These investments added immensely to Harry's net worth.

However, there were a lot of liquid assets in the vaults, just laying around. Harry wanted to use that money to make additional investments, start a business, or buy up additional real estate. He wrote another letter to his account managers, asking for a list of potential business and investment opportunities.

"Hey, girl," said Harry to Corona, who was on her perch next to Harry's desk. "Would you mind delivering these to my account managers at Gringotts?"

Corona chirped softly in agreement. She grasped the letters in her beak and disappeared in a flash of fire.

Finally, all of the boys were ready, and they headed down to the common room together. They were met by a prefect, who led them down to the Great Hall. Harry paid close attention to the route – he didn't want to get lost in the castle.

When they sat down at the Ravenclaw table, Harry spotted Draco and Cedric sitting at their respective tables. He and Roger waved at them, which was returned with tired grins.

As they began eating breakfast, they were introduced to their head of house, Professor Flitwick. He was a very short man, apparently half goblin. He introduced himself briefly to the first years and began handing out their timetables.

When he reached Harry, he paused.

"I'm happy you could join us here in Ravenclaw," Flitwick squeaked. "It's about time a Potter was sorted into Ravenclaw!"

"Thank you, Professor," said Harry politely. "I'm looking forward to it."

Flitwick handed him his timetable, which he promptly compared with Roger.

"We have Transfiguration with Slytherin right after breakfast," commented Roger. "Then Charms with Hufflepuff, History of Magic and Herbology with Gryffindor after lunch, then Astronomy late tonight," he moaned.

"It'll be great!" exclaimed Harry enthusiastically. Just then, Corona reappeared on his shoulder in a flash of fire, drawing the attention of the entire Great Hall. Harry stroked her feathers, showing his familiarity with the phoenix.

The Great Hall broke out into whispers. Not only was the Boy Who Lived a Ravenclaw and belonged to the Black and Rosier families, but he also had a golden phoenix as a familiar. His legend was already growing by the minute.

Harry looked around and saw all eyes on him. He saw Draco and Cedric grinning at him, excited that their friend had a phoenix. As he glanced near them, he saw his three betrotheds, Lucretia, Daphne, and Susan, looking at him in shock. Harry also noticed the professors looking at him in shock, especially Professor Dumbledore.

Harry did his best to ignore the stares and went back to eating. Inside, however, he was happy with the attention. After a few more minutes, they finished up their breakfast. A prefect then led them out of the Great Hall and showed them the way to the Transfiguration classroom.

When they arrived, the Slytherin first years were already seated. Harry spotted an empty seat next to Draco. He grabbed Roger and dragged him over to sit with him next to Draco.

"Hey Draco, how's it going?" Harry said as he sat down.

Draco grinned at him. "You have a bloody phoenix?" he asked.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, her name is Corona. She hatched for me over the summer."

"You're ridiculous," muttered Draco. "Everyone is talking about you in Slytherin. I told them about your mom and how you are Lord Potter, Black, and Rosier. They are all freaking out."

Harry smiled. It seemed his popularity was growing, which was fine with him.

"How is Lucretia?" Harry asked, which caused Draco to grin.

"Can't stop thinking about her, huh?" he joked. "I honestly don't know. I didn't talk to her much after the feast. But she kept looking at you during breakfast, especially after your phoenix showed up."

Their conversation quickly ended as Harry glanced at his watch and realized that it was time for class to start. He spotted a tabby cat sitting on the desk at the front of the classroom, watching the students. Suddenly, the cat morphed and turned into Professor McGonagall.

"Wicked," exclaimed Roger.

"Thank you, Mr. Davies," replied McGonagall. "Welcome to Transfiguration. We will be starting right away, so please take out your quills and parchment to take notes."

For the next half hour, they learned about the basic theory behind transfiguration. Finally, McGonagall gave them time to practice.

"On each of your desks is a matchstick," she began. "Your task is to change the matchstick into a sewing needle, using the incantation and theory we just covered. You have until the end of class. I will be walking around the room if you need any help."

Harry grinned and took out his wand. He stared at the matchstick in front of him and imagined in his mind's eye that it was really a sewing needle. With that mental image, he performed the wand movement and said the incantation. Immediately, the match morphed into a silver sewing needle.

 _Well, that was easy,_ Harry thought to himself. _I got it on my first try._

"How did you do that?" exclaimed Roger from beside him. As Harry glanced around, he saw all of the students yelling the incantation, but it seemed that no one had succeeded yet.

McGonagall heard Roger's exclamation and walked over to Harry's desk.

"Have you already succeeded?" she asked Harry in surprise.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Harry politely.

"Very well done. Ten points to Ravenclaw," she complimented. "Can you try changing it back to a matchstick?"

Harry nodded and visualized a matchstick in his head. He waved his phoenix feather wand and the needle turned back into a matchstick.

"Amazing!" McGonagall declared. "Take another 10 points to Ravenclaw! The rest of the time, practice performing the transfiguration faster, and then try customizing the needle."

Harry nodded as she walked away. He turned back to the matchstick and focused on turning it back into a needle.

After a few minutes, he had increased his speed considerably. He was able to perform ten transfigurations within 15 seconds. Unbeknownst to him, Professor McGonagall was watching him from the back of the classroom, a look of shock on her face. She had never seen a first year perform this transfiguration with these much ease.

Harry then focused on customizing the needle. He decided it would be cool if he turned it into a golden needle. He visualized it in his mind's eye and performed the incantation. However, nothing happened. He frowned, unsure what had happened. He tried again, only to be met with the same result.

He was frustrated. He decided to try once more. He visualized the gold needle, but also imagined the feeling he had when he touched his wand for the first time. He grabbed onto that magical feeling and pushed it through his wand. He waved his wand and said the incantation. This time, he felt an immense pressure traveling through his arm into this wand. After a second, the match transformed into a golden needle. Harry felt the energy fade, and he immediately felt much more tired than he had a second earlier.

He grinned. He had successfully turned the match into a golden needle. Satisfied, he turned to Draco and Roger, who were still struggling. He watched them for a moment, trying to determine what they were doing wrong.

"Draco," he said suddenly. "Your wand movement is a little too jerky. Try making a little slower and a little more fluid."

Draco nodded and tried it once more. This time, the matchstick changed colors to a silvery hue.

"I almost got it!" exclaimed Draco.

"Try it one more time," instructed Harry. "This time, really focus."

Draco tried it again and was successful this time. "I owe you one, Harry," he said. "How did you know that?"

Harry shrugged. "Instinct, I guess." He turned to Roger to see how he could help. After a moment, he spoke up.

"Roger, what are you thinking of when you do the spell?"

"Nothing, really. Just the incantation."

"That's the problem," replied Harry. "You need to visualize the transfiguration in your mind before it happens in real life. Imagine a silver needle in your mind, as detailed as you can. Then try the spell."

Roger nodded and bit his lip in concentration. A moment later, he tried the spell again and was partially successful.

"There you go," said Harry encouragingly. "Just try it a couple more times and you'll have it down."

McGonagall had watched Harry help both of his friends and was impressed with his knowledge of magical theory.

"Mr. Potter, would you be willing to help some of your other classmates as well?" she asked him.

Harry nodded and stood up. He began walking around the classroom, trying to help anyone that asked for help, almost acting like a mini professor.

After a few minutes, he spotted the blonde hair of Daphne Greengrass on the other side of the room. She was having trouble with her transfiguration. He smoothly walked up to the desk and squatted beside it.

"You're Daphne, aren't you?" he asked, looking at her.

Daphne looked at him and smiled nervously. "Yes," she replied uncertainly.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Harry said softly. She knew he was referring to the marriage contract between them. "Do you need any help with your transfiguration?" he asked.

Daphne shook her head stubbornly. "I can figure it out," she insisted.

Harry nodded and took a step back. He waited and watched her try and fail several more times. Finally, in desperation, she looked at him.

"What am I doing wrong?" she asked.

"You're not letting your magic flow," he answered. Seeing her look of confusion, he sat down next to her.

"Let's try something," he said, taking out his wand. "Try holding onto my wand with me as I do the transfiguration. Focus on what you feel."

She nodded slowly and grasped his wand, their hands lightly touching. Harry then proceeded to transfigure the match.

"Did you feel that?" he asked. Daphne nodded. "That was my magic. That is what you need to feel when you do it."

Daphne bit her lip, trying to understand. She grasped her wand and closed her eyes. For a few long seconds, she didn't do anything. Then, she opened her eyes and tried once more. This time, the match changed into the needle.

"I did it!" she exclaimed in excitement. She turned back to Harry. "Thank you for your help."

"Any time," Harry replied with his charming smile.

McGonagall was shocked as she watched Harry help Daphne. She had never imagined something like that would work. Harry seemed to instinctively know what each person's problem was and how to help them. It was amazing.

Soon after, the class came to an end.

"Please leave your matches on the table for me to evaluate," McGonagall instructed as the students packed up their belongings and headed out of the classroom. She walked around, looking at the progress each student had made. Surprisingly, several students had successfully completed the transfiguration, including Draco Malfoy, Roger Davies, and Daphne Greengrass, all of which Harry had assisted.

Finally, she reached Harry's desk and was shocked at what she found – a golden needle. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Gold was the most difficult thing to transfigure because it required an immense amount of magical potency. It did not matter how much skill, talent, or even sheer magical power you had – if you didn't have enough potency, the ability to push enough magic into your wand at once, you couldn't transfigure gold. Even if you could, it was only in small amounts. The fact that Harry had been able to do this, on his first day no less, was nothing short of remarkable. She could hardly wait to see what he would accomplish next.

Harry walked into the Charms classroom with the rest of the first year Ravenclaws. Roger spotted Cedric already seated, and he and Harry quickly sat next to him.

Professor Flitwick quickly began the class, which was very similar to Transfiguration. They covered theory for half of the class before moving onto practical application.

Each student was given a simple feather. "We will now practice the Levitation Charm," said Flitwick. "Remember, the incantation is _Wingardium Leviosa_ , and the wand movement is a simple swish and flick."

Harry nodded and looked at his feather. He focused on feeling his magic. When he could feel it, he quickly performed the wand movement and said the incantation. The feather immediately began to float, and Harry guided it with his wand.

"Oh, well done, Mr. Potter!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick. "It seems you have inherited your mother's talent for Charms!"

Harry smiled at the tiny professor's compliment. He continued practicing for a couple of minutes before helping his fellow students like he had in Transfiguration. Cedric and Roger were almost successful already, so he turned his attention to other students. He noticed one of his betrotheds, Susan, sitting on the other side of the room. He walked over and sat down next to her.

"Hi, you're Susan, right?" he asked with his charming smile.

Susan blushed and nodded.

"I'm Harry," he said. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Susan blushed again. "It's nice to meet you too."

"How is it going with the spell?" Harry asked.

Susan shook her head in disappointment. "I can't get it to work. The feather won't budge."

Harry gave her a searching look before getting up and kneeling on the other side of the desk, facing Susan.

"Try one more time. I have a feeling it will work this time."

Flitwick watched the pair with curiosity. He watched as Susan tried the spell once more. However, what was most intriguing was Harry. He clenched his fist behind his back, as if he were concentrating on something. Little by little, the feather began to raise off the table. Flitwick could not sense any magic coming from Susan's wand; rather, it seemed to him that Harry was the one levitating the feather – windlessly.

"I'm doing it!" Susan exclaimed. Suddenly, the feather fell back to the table and Harry relaxed his fist. Harry gave her an encouraging smile.

"Good job, Susan!" he complimented her. "Try it one more time. I bet it's easier now."

Susan nodded and tried again. This time, Harry did not do anything. Flitwick could sense that Susan's magic was levitating the feather. Flitwick was amazed. It seemed that Susan's problem had been a lack of confidence. Not only had Harry seen this, but he had boosted her confidence by using wandless magic to trick her into believing she had been successful the first time. Flitwick was astounded.

The rest of the class passed quickly, and soon the students were heading down to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry walked with Roger and Cedric, who were raving about Harry's abilities.

"How did you do that? You must be the next Merlin," exclaimed Cedric dramatically.

"That was nothing. You should have seen him in Transfiguration. I thought McGonagall was going to faint, she was so happy."

Harry chuckled at his friends' antics. "It just comes easily to me. I don't know how to explain it."

The three friends soon arrived at the Great Hall. Instead of sitting at the Ravenclaw table, however, Harry and Roger decided to sit with Cedric at the Hufflepuff table. Harry did not know what a big deal it was to sit at another table. As soon as they sat down, people throughout the Great Hall began whispering and gossiping about Harry's move. It was yet another layer to add to Harry's growing legend.

Harry, Cedric, and Roger laughed and joked as they ate. After several minutes, two girls sat across the table from Harry, next to Cedric. One of them was a blonde girl that he recognized as Hannah Abbott. The other was his betrothed, Susan Bones.

"Hi, Harry," Susan said shyly as she sat down. "Thanks again for your help in Charms."

"No problem, Susan," Harry said with a charming smile. "I'm just glad we could finally meet. I've been anxious to see you ever since learning about the contract."

Next to him, Roger dropped his fork in shock. "Contract? As in a marriage contract? I thought you were already betrothed to Draco's sister!" he exclaimed.

"Could you please say that a little louder?" said Harry sarcastically. "I don't think the entire Great Hall heard you."

Roger had the decency to look embarrassed. Finally, Harry decided to respond.

"I am betrothed to Lucretia, but I am also betrothed to Susan, as well as Daphne Greengrass. One for each of my lordships," he explained. Susan nodded in agreement. It seemed she already knew about his betrothal to Daphne and Lucretia.

"Merlin's beard, Harry," exclaimed Cedric. "Do you have any more surprises for us? Any other genius abilities that you are hiding from us?"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really. I do speak six other languages, if that counts."

"What languages?" asked Susan, who looked impressed.

"French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, and Russian," he listed off.

"Wicked," exclaimed Roger. "You can introduce me to some girls from the continent!"

Harry jokingly smacked Roger on the back of the head. "Idiot," he muttered, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

They quickly finished their lunch and hurried off to their next classes. Roger and Harry headed to History of Magic with Professor Binns. Harry had high hopes for the classes but was soon disappointed by Binns' teaching style and dry monologues. He loved reading and learning about the great wars and leaders of the past. He quickly determined that he would spend the class reading the textbook and other history books. Otherwise, he would fall asleep listening to Binns drone on, as most of the class had already done.

After History of Magic, they headed down to the greenhouses for Herbology with Professor Sprout. Harry enjoyed the lesson a lot and could see how useful Herbology could be. Professor Sprout seemed to be a good professor, and she took an immediate liking to Harry, especially after he sat at the Hufflepuff table at lunch.

After Herbology, they went back to the Great Hall for dinner. This time, Harry decided to sit at the Slytherin table, which caused even more whispers and gossip. He sat next to Draco, directly across from Daphne.

"Hey guys, how were classes?" he said as he sat down. Daphne and Draco both looked surprised initially, but quickly got over it. Several upperclassmen looked like they wanted to object to Harry sitting at their table, but after taking long looks at his lordship rings, they decided not to say anything. Professor Snape also had an unreadable look on his face as he watched the scene unfold.

"Good for the most part. Potions with the stupid Gryffindors was unbearable," complained Draco, causing Harry to smile.

"What did you think, Daphne?" Harry asked, forcing her to speak.

She smiled shyly at him. "They went well. I really enjoyed Potions, except for the Gryffindors," she replied.

Suddenly, another blonde girl sat down next to Daphne. Harry realized it was Lucretia Malfoy.

"Go away, Lucretia," said Draco, irritated. "You're not allowed to sit with me."

Lucretia smirked at him. "I didn't come here to sit with you. I came here to sit with Harry."

Draco looked like he wanted to respond, but wisely didn't.

"Hi, Lucretia, how was your first day of classes?" Harry asked politely.

"It went well, although not as exciting as your first day, from what I've heard," Lucretia responded. "You've made quite the impression already."

Draco nodded. "Harry here is the next Merlin! He even turned his matchstick into a golden needle!" he exclaimed. Daphne nodded in agreement.

Lucretia eyed Harry critically. "Impressive. I hadn't heard that rumor yet. So tell me, Harry, how is it that you are Lord Black and Lord Rosier in addition to being Lord Potter?"

Harry smiled at her. "Well, my mother's parents were actually Orion Black and Vinda Rosier. They had a secret affair, which is why my mother was raised by Muggles."

Lucretia nodded in understanding. "So I assume that there was a marriage contract for each of the families. That is why you are betrothed to me, Daphne, and Susan?"

Draco choked on his pumpkin juice when he heard that. "You're betrothed to Daphne and Susan too?"

Harry nodded with a smirk.

"Merlin, Harry, nothing is boring around you," Draco muttered.

Harry spent the rest of the meal chatting with Draco, Lucretia, and Daphne. Daphne was beginning to warm up to him, especially after he helped her in Transfiguration. Lucretia was very outgoing naturally, but also had a very dry sense of humor.

After dinner, Harry headed back to the common room to work on the homework that the professors had assigned that day. After a few hours, he headed to the Astronomy Tower along with the rest of the first years for their weekly Astronomy lesson. The class proved to be extremely easy for Harry. He was able to easily learn the positions of all the stars due to his photographic memory.

* * *

The next morning, the first years were allowed to sleep in and have a late breakfast due to their Astronomy lesson the previous night, before heading off to their classes. After breakfast, Harry headed down to the dungeons for Potions with Professor Snape. He sat in between Cedric and Draco and waited eagerly for the class to start.

Suddenly, Professor Snape strode into the class, slamming the door behind him.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," he said darkly. "I don't expect most of you to understand the importance of potion making. But for those select few with the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."

Harry listened eagerly, excited to begin. Snape looked out over the class until his eyes rested on Harry.

"Ah. Harry Potter. Our new celebrity," he sneered. "Tell me, Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry knew the answer after having read the entire textbook over the summer.

"The Draught of Living Death, sir," answered Harry respectfully.

Snape looked like he had swallowed something sour. "Lucky guess," he said. "Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

"In the stomach of a goat, sir," replied Harry correctly yet again.

Snape looked incredibly frustrated. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he asked yet again.

"Nothing, sir," answered Harry. "They are the same plant, also known as aconite."

Snape looked ready to murder. "Why aren't the rest of you writing this down?" he demanded.

Soon after, the class began to work on a simple potion to cure boils. Harry enjoyed it a lot, despite Snape's constant hovering and insensitive remarks. By the end of the class, he had bottled a perfect potion, which he proudly delivered to Snape, who looked shocked. He slowly wrote an O on the bottle, even though it looked like it pained him.

The Ravenclaws then went to lunch, and then headed to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry was disappointed yet again by the teaching methods of Professor Quirrell, who couldn't seem to stop stuttering long enough to get his point across. Harry decided he would have to study and practice a lot on his own if he wanted to truly learn.

The rest of the week passed quickly for Harry. He continued to excel in all of his classes, astounding all of his professors, even Snape, although he didn't want to admit it.

* * *

Finally, Saturday rolled around, the day Harry had been anxiously awaiting. It was the day of their first flying lesson. Harry had read all about Quidditch, but he had never actually been on a broom before. He knew he was athletic, and he hoped that would carry over into Quidditch.

The first years marched out onto the Quidditch pitch, where they were met by Madam Hooch. On the grass, there were two lines of brooms on the ground.

"Everyone, step up to the left of a broom," instructed Madam Hooch. Harry stepped up with Roger, Cedric, and Draco beside him.

"Extend your right hand and say up," continued Madam Hooch. Harry did so, and the broom shot straight into his hand. As he looked to the side, he saw that his three friends had been successful as well. Others were not so lucky. After several minutes, everyone managed to get their broom into their hand.

"Now, put the broom in between your legs. On the count of three, you are going to gently hover for a second, then return to the ground. Do you understand? One, two, three!"

Harry gently hovered, as did those around him. One boy, however, whose name was Neville Longbottom, lost control and went careening dozens of feet into the air. The broom began bucking wildly, threatening to throw Neville off.

Before Harry could think twice, he rocketed towards Neville on his broom. Suddenly, Neville fell from the broom, just as Harry arrived. Harry extended his arm and caught Neville by the arm, preventing him from falling another 40 feet. He hauled him onto his broom behind him, then gently guided them back to Madam Hooch, who had a look of shock on her face.

"Twenty points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Potter. Very well done," she said, thankful for having averted a disaster.

The rest of the lesson continued. Before long, the more talented flyers were given freedom to do laps around the stadium. Harry found flying to come naturally to him. His three friends seemed to be accomplished flyers as well.

The lesson finally ended, but Madam Hooch gave Harry and his friends permission to play a pickup game of Quidditch. Before long, the four friends grabbed a Quaffle and began their game. It was Harry's first time playing Quidditch, but he loved it. He had a cannon for an arm and was able to throw the Quaffle into the hoops from increasing distances.

The rest of the first years watched the four friends from the ground. Although it wasn't apparent to Harry, the observers could see that the four friends were exceptionally talented, especially for first years.

After a long game, the friends finally ended it and descended to the ground. When they landed, they were surprised to see Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape awaiting them, along with three other upperclassmen that they didn't recognize, one from each house.

Seeing their confused faces, Flitwick began to explain.

"That was some marvelous flying, boys," he said. "We have never seen first years fly like that. We would like to invite you boys to play on your house Quidditch teams," he concluded.

The four friends looked at each other in shock.

"I thought first years weren't allowed to play?" asked Cedric.

"Typically, no. But I think we can convince Headmaster Dumbledore to make an exception in your cases," replied Professor Sprout.

"We have invited the captains from each of your houses here to assess your abilities in more depth," Flitwick explained, gesturing to the other three upperclassmen.

Flitwick then introduced Harry and Roger to the captain whose name was Bradley Chambers.

"What positions do you both prefer?" Bradley asked them.

"Chaser," answered Roger immediately.

"I'm not sure. This was my first time actually playing, but I think I prefer Chaser too," Harry replied honestly.

"This was your first time playing?" exclaimed Bradley, to which Harry nodded. "Merlin, I can't imagine how good you'll be when you get some training in!"

"As it so happens," Bradley continued, "there are two open Chaser spots on the Ravenclaw team. The positions are yours, but I need to make sure that you two are committed to the team."

"Of course!" both boys said simultaneously, heads nodding in excitement.

"Very good!" exclaimed Bradley. "With you two beside me as Chasers, we have a good shot to win the House Cup this year! We have practice three days a week, which I expect you guys to take seriously. I will work on getting you two a copy of our plays and strategies. In the meantime, do you have a broom from home that you will be using?"

Roger nodded, but Harry shook his head. "No, but I will order one right away," he said.

"Good. I will see you two tomorrow afternoon for practice," Bradley said before walking back up to the castle. Harry and Roger waited for Cedric and Draco, who were both still talking with their captains. When they finished, they walked over with grins on their faces.

"Guess who is the new Slytherin Chaser?" asked Draco boastfully.

"Congrats," said Harry. "Roger and I are Chasers too. What about you, Cedric?"

"I'm the new Seeker," Cedric replied. "I much prefer that to Chaser."

"Wicked," replied Roger. "Man, this is crazy. All four of us just made the Quidditch team as first years. I bet that has never happened in the history of Hogwarts."

Draco grinned at that. "My family is going to go crazy when they find out. The girls will be all over us!" he said, laughing.

Harry laughed too as they began their walk back to the castle. He couldn't wait to break the news to everyone else.

* * *

Dumbledore sat at his desk in his office. It was Sunday afternoon and the weekly professor's meeting was just about to begin. He held this weekly meeting to keep up with the situations and difficulties of all his students. Just then, the various professors filed in to his office, sitting in chairs set up in a circle around the office.

"Thank you all for coming to our first professor's meeting of the year," began Dumbledore. "As it is the first week of the school year, this will last a little longer than normal."

"First, let's discuss our new first years," Dumbledore said. One by one, they briefly discussed each of the new first years. Finally, the time came to discuss Harry Potter.

"What have your experiences been like with young Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore inquired. He was met with a hesitant silence before Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"His abilities thus far have been nothing less than astounding," she said honestly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow – Minerva was not one to give such high praise.

"What did he do to earn such praise?" Dumbledore inquired.

"It might be better if I showed you all the memory from his first lesson," she suggested. Dumbledore nodded and pulled out his Pensieve. McGonagall put her wand to her temple and withdrew the silvery memory, which she placed in the Pensieve.

The Professors all stood around the Pensieve and watched the memory of Harry's first transfigurations, his assistance to the other students, and McGonagall's discovery of his golden needle. When they withdrew from the memory, they all had a look of shock on their faces.

"I have never seen a first year with this much talent," admitted McGonagall. "Not only that, he is a natural born leader. All of the students seem to look to him for help."

Dumbledore nodded, still shocked by the memory.

"If I may, Headmaster," began Flitwick, "I also have a memory I wish to share concerning Mr. Potter."

Dumbledore acquiesced, and the professors soon watched another memory, this one of Harry's mastery of the Levitation Charm and his use of a wandless charm while helping Susan Bones. The professors withdrew once more, shock apparent on their faces again.

"Not only was his control of the charm flawless, but he used a wandless version of it to inspire confidence in Ms. Bones," concluded Flitwick. "Not only that, but several students have come to me with stories about Mr. Potter outside of class."

Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair, motioning for Flitwick to continue.

"I have been told that Mr. Potter is the lord of the Potter, Black, and Rosier houses," Flitwick said. "It appears that Lily Evans was not a Muggleborn, merely Muggle raised. Harry has told others that his mother's parents were Orion Black and Vinda Rosier."

Everyone's mouths hung open in shock. The perfect Muggleborn student was actually a pureblood.

"But wait, there's more," continued Flitwick. "I have learned that Mr. Potter is betrothed to Susan Bones, Daphne Greengrass, and Lucretia Malfoy."

Murmurs went through the room at this revelation.

"In addition, as you have already seen, Mr. Potter has a golden phoenix as his familiar, which he calls Corona," Flitwick said. "Several Ravenclaws have also heard Mr. Potter say that he is fluent in six other languages. And now, he is also a Chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditich team."

Dumbledore was dumbfounded. He had known that Harry was very intelligent and advanced, but he had no idea the extent of his growing influence.

"Severus, what have you observed from Harry thus far?" Dumbledore asked.

"He seems to be a competent brewer," said Snape simply. This comment, more than anything else, surprised Dumbledore. Coming from Snape, that meant that Harry was an excellent Potions student. It seemed Harry had impressed Snape enough to temporarily overcome Snape's hatred.

Dumbledore thought for a minute before speaking up again. "It seems that Harry is more than we ever could have expected. Please keep a close eye on him."

With that, their discussion moved on to the next student. Dumbledore, however, kept thinking about Harry. He had expected him to arrive at Hogwarts as a humble boy, eager to please. That could not have been further from reality. The Harry that arrived was powerful, influential, intelligent, and popular, even more so than a young Tom Riddle. He would have to watch Harry carefully to ensure that he did not follow in Tom Riddle's footsteps…

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As you can tell, Quidditch will play a big role in this story. I have tried to make Harry powerful, yet believably so. He will continue learning at an accelerated pace, but will also focus on making friends to as to build up his base.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Harry awoke at the crack of dawn. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up. It was nearly time for his daily morning workout with the Ravenclaw team. The captain, Bradley Chambers, had instituted a very strict schedule for the team. Every morning, the team would wake up early to run laps around the Quidditch pitch and do pushups and other strengthening exercises. In addition to the morning workouts, the team met three nights a week for actual practice. Bradley was ecstatic with the additions of Harry and Roger and was confident that Ravenclaw would take home the Quidditch Cup that year. Even so, he was taking no chances when it came to training. He wanted to ensure that the team was as well prepared as possible.

"Roger, wake up!" groaned Harry as he looked at the sleeping form of his friend in the bed next to him. When Roger didn't stir, Harry grabbed his pillow and chucked it at his head.

"What do you want?" exclaimed Roger sleepily.

"We have workouts to get to!" explained Harry.

"Ugh," groaned Roger. "Remind me why I wanted to be on the Quidditch team again."

"I think it was to get all the girls," Harry joked as he gingerly got out of bed. His body was extremely sore after the strenuous workouts he had endured over the past few days.

Harry and Roger quickly got dressed and headed down to the common room, where the rest of the team was waiting for them.

"It's about time," chastised Bradley.

"It was Roger's fault," grumbled Harry, earning him a smack on the shoulder from Roger.

The team headed down to the lake and began jogging around the lake together. As they jogged, Bradley spoke with the team about strategies and plays. However, he focused most of his attention on Harry and Roger.

"Most of the house teams employ the Hawkshead attacking formation," said Bradley as they ran. "This consists of the three Chasers flying in a triangle formation towards the hoops. The Chaser in the middle has the Quaffle, while the other two fend off attacks from the defense. It is easy to implement, yet extremely effective, which is why so many Hogwarts teams use it."

"How do we defend against it?" asked Harry.

"By penetrating the attack formation," Bradley replied. "It is a difficult approach, but I believe that with our talent, we can pull it off. Basically, our Beaters or even one of our Chasers needs to distract the outside attacking Chasers long enough for one of our Chasers to slip into the formation from the back and get in between the Quaffle holder and his defenders."

Harry nodded, trying to process the information as he ran.

"To be effective, the defense needs especially fast Chasers in the back. That is something that we have, especially with Harry," continued Bradley.

"What happens when the team doesn't use the Hawkhead formation?" asked Roger.

"There are two types of defenses that we will use in that case. The first one is called man defense, in which each Chaser defends a specific Chaser on the opposing team. The other is called a zone defense, in which each Chaser defends a specific area of the pitch. With both defenses, our goal is to push the opposing player towards the boundary of the pitch and, in a best-case scenario, force him out of bounds."

Harry understood immediately. It seemed Quidditch was similar to Muggle football in that regard.

The team continued their run for several more minutes, before stopping and performing strength exercises. By the time they were finished, Harry and Roger were almost too tired to move. They dragged themselves back up to the castle to shower and change clothes before breakfast.

* * *

Harry continued to excel in his classes. During class, he would pay attention and take notes, to his professors' delight. He continued to master spells and charms at an alarming speed. However, outside of class, he read ahead and began practicing spells on his own. Often times, he was excused from homework after having performed so well in class. This only gave him more free time to work ahead. When his fellow Ravenclaws were at the library studying, he would head to an abandoned classroom to practice his spells.

Despite working ahead, Harry made a special effort to not become out of touch with his new friends. Often, he would sit in the library while they did homework, just so he could talk with them or offer help if they needed it.

However, Harry was beginning to grow tired of the slow pace. It was not a new problem for him. Even as a young child in school, he quickly grew bored with the material being taught. His teachers always struggled to keep him engaged. After a while, they would give him books from the higher grades, which Harry would use to teach himself. He was no stranger to self-study.

In the span of a month, Harry worked through a little over half of the first-year material in all of his classes. He had studied the theoretical portions extensively over the summer, but he had been forced to wait until September to work on the practical portions. Even so, they posed little challenge to Harry. He calculated that if he continued at this pace, he would be done with the second-year material by Christmas.

As he learned more and more, his ambition only grew. He had always been ambitious. Before learning about magic, he had dreamed of becoming rich and powerful one day. Now, however, he was already rich, and he realized that his potential was much greater than he had initially imagined. That only caused his ambition to grow even more. He had always been extremely intelligent; now, however, he was rich, had influence in society and the government, and was on his way to becoming a very powerful wizard. He knew that with all of those factors combined, he could change the wizarding world in a way very few could. He imagined himself being the Minister of Magic or the Chief Warlock, or even something greater.

His imaginations were only fueled by his studies. He was fascinated by the stories of great leaders in the past. He often read books and biographies about their lives and their rises to power. His friends looked at him like he was crazy, but he ignored it.

One day, Harry sat in the library with his friends. While they did homework, he read a book about famous wizards. After entering the wizarding world, Harry wanted to learn as much as he could about the famous wizards of the past. As he read, he noticed that several of them had even attended Hogwarts. One wizard, the book stated, had even participated in Hogwarts' accelerated program.

 _Accelerated program?_ Harry thought to himself. Immediately, he went and grabbed a book about Hogwarts and its history. Skimming through the pages, he found a section about the accelerated program. Apparently, extremely talented students, if granted permission by the Ministry or the Headmaster, could participate in the accelerated program. In this program, students could study ahead of their yearmates. They could take their OWLs and NEWTs early and begin working on other projects or courses of study.

 _This is perfect!_ Harry thought to himself.

With this seed planted, Harry could not stop thinking about the accelerated program. Over the course of the next several days, Harry began to plan out his potential future options. If he worked hard, he was confident that he could finish the third-year curriculum by the end of the school year. The following year, he knew he could finish the fourth and fifth year curriculum and take his OWLs by the end of the year. If all went as planned, he could complete his NEWT studies in one year, meaning that he could sit for his NEWTs at the end of his third year.

He knew that taking the OWLs and NEWTs this young was completely unprecedented. In fact, he knew that many people would consider it impossible. However, he knew what he was capable of.

After taking his NEWTs, he would have four years to dedicate to whatever he wanted. He intended to stay at Hogwarts to further his education. After studying the biographies of numerous influential wizards, Harry knew that he wanted to pursue multiple masteries.

As he understood it, masteries were the equivalent of Muggle graduate degrees. To achieve a mastery, he had to be mentored by an existing master in the subject. There was no better place for that than Hogwarts. Harry intended to achieve multiple masteries by the time he left Hogwarts, an unprecedented feat.

Finally, he made up his mind to pursue a spot in the accelerated program. From what he understood, no one had done it in over a century, but Harry was determined to try.

After Charms class one day, he walked up to Professor Flitwick's desk.

"Hello, Mr. Potter, what can I do for you?" Professor Flitwick squeaked.

"I wanted to talk to you about Hogwarts' accelerated program," Harry replied.

Flitwick's eyes opened slightly in surprise. "The accelerated program? If I'm mistaken, it's been over a century since the last time someone participated in the accelerated program. What is your curiosity with it?" Flitwick asked.

"I want to enter it," replied Harry honestly.

Flitwick eyed Harry critically, processing his request.

"Why don't you come to my office after dinner and we can discuss it more?" Flitwick suggested. Harry agreed before hurrying off to his next class.

* * *

After dinner, Harry trudged up the stairs to Flitwick's office. As he walked, he mentally prepared the logical argument that he would present to Flitwick. He arrived and calmly knocked on the door.

"Come in," shouted Flitwick from inside. Harry opened the door and took a seat in front of Flitwick's desk.

"Well, Mr. Potter," began Flitwick, "tell me why you wish to enter the accelerated program."

Harry shifted in his seat before replying. "To be honest, sir, I am bored," he said bluntly.

"I see," said Flitwick thoughtfully. "You have been doing exceptionally well in class. But there is a difference between doing well in class and having the capability to enter the accelerated program."

"I know," replied Harry quickly. "I've been studying ahead too. I'm well over halfway through the first-year material," he explained. "I plan on being done with the second-year curriculum by Christmas."

"Impressive," murmured Flitwick. "You have definitely inherited your mother's talent for Charms."

"Actually, sir, I am that far ahead in all of my classes," corrected Harry.

Flitwick's eyes opened in shock. He hadn't realized Harry had studied ahead in all of his classes.

"Why don't you give me a demonstration," Flitwick suggested. Harry took out his wand and began performing the numerous spells, transfigurations, and charms that he had learned. With each subsequent cast, Flitwick became more and more impressed.

"Very impressive," Flitwick praised after Harry was done. "I will bring this up with the Headmaster. Perhaps we can have you moved up a year after the Christmas holidays," he suggested.

"Actually, sir, I was thinking of something else," said Harry. He then proceeded to explain his plan to take his OWLs after second year and his NEWTs after third year.

Flitwick was astounded. "That is very ambitious, Mr. Potter," he said lightly. "Such a feat has never been done before at Hogwarts."

"There's a first time for everything," argued Harry. "I've already been studying on my own. I know that I can keep going at this pace, if not faster. I've always been a fast learner. I know I am capable."

"Be that as it may," began Flitwick.

"I can remember every single word from every single lecture from every professor this year," Harry argued. "I can remember every single word from every page of every book that I've read. And I've proved that I can learn the spells on my own."

Flitwick didn't reply but observed Harry carefully. He was surprised by Harry's determination and ambition.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. I believe you. I will discuss this with the Headmaster and attempt to convince him as well."

Harry's face split into a grin. "Thank you so much, Professor. I won't let you down!" he exclaimed.

Flitwick chuckled. "You are very welcome, Mr. Potter. I will let you know as soon as I have talked with the Headmaster."

A few days later, Flitwick informed Harry that Dumbledore wanted to see Harry in his office before dinner.

Harry could hardly contain his excitement during the rest of his classes. He was a ball of nervous energy, although he tried to keep it contained. As soon as his last class finished, he raced out the door towards the Headmaster's office.

When he arrived, he knocked nervously on the door. When he heard Dumbledore instructing him to come in, he opened the door and sat down in a chair in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Hello, Harry," said Dumbledore with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

"Hello, Headmaster," Harry said politely.

"Your professors have told me that you are performing admirably in all of your classes," Dumbledore began. "They seem to be very impressed, including Professor Snape."

Harry nodded respectfully. "I have been working hard, sir," he replied.

"Indeed, you have," said Dumbledore. "Professor Flitwick told me that you even wish to enter the famed accelerated program

"Yes, sir," said Harry. "I have already been studying ahead and I wish to continue doing so."

Dumbledore paused and looked at Harry for a long moment. "Unfortunately, my boy, I do not believe that is the right option for you."

Harry looked sharply at Dumbledore in alarm. "Why not?" he demanded.

"There is no need for you to push yourself so hard," replied Dumbledore. "I wish for you to have fun, make friends, and play Quidditch. You have your whole life in front of you to learn about magic."

"I will have fun with my friends. And I intend to keep playing Quidditch. But I want to keep learning more!" exclaimed Harry.

"Be that as it may, I cannot grant your request," Dumbledore replied. "It is my decision, and I feel that you will do much better remaining in your normal classes."

Harry was livid. "I can do this!" he exclaimed. "You know I can!"

"I'm sorry, Harry," replied the Headmaster.

Harry glared at the Headmaster. He knew no amount of arguing was going to change the old man's mind.

"Very well," Harry said angrily, clenching his jaw. "Thank you for your time."

He stood up and walked out on the Headmaster. As he walked, he clenched his fists in anger. He was furious with the headmaster. For some reason, he did not want Harry to learn. Harry thought that being the Headmaster, he would have wanted Harry to succeed.

Harry's anger only grew with every step that he took. He wanted desperately to prove the senile old man wrong. After several minutes, he arrived at the Great Hall. He saw Roger sitting at the Slytherin table with Draco, Daphne, and Lucretia, so he sat down with them. Still fuming, he began to pile the food on his plate without saying a word.

He began to eat his dinner while staring at a single spot on the table. His friends looked at each other worriedly. They had never seen Harry angry before. He was always happy and easygoing.

"What happened?" Roger asked uncertainly.

"Dumbledore refused to let me into the accelerated program," Harry replied, his jaw still clenched in anger.

"Are you serious?" Roger exclaimed. Harry had informed them of his plans, and they thought he would be accepted for sure. "Why?"

"He wants me to have fun and make friends instead of studying," Harry replied. "He doesn't want me to learn."

The friends were shocked by Dumbledore's decision. However, they were more shocked by Harry's reaction. There was a fire in his eyes, one that they had never seen.

"Maybe my father can help," Draco suggested, looking sideways at his sister.

"How would he be able to help?" asked Harry sarcastically.

"He is on the Hogwarts Board of Governors," Draco replied. "He also has a lot of contacts in the Ministry. I bet he can get someone from the Education Office to grant your request."

Harry looked hopefully at Draco. "Do you think he would really do that for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course," replied Draco. "You're family now!"

Beside him, Lucretia nodded in agreement.

"I'll write to him tonight," said Draco. Harry smiled gratefully at his friend.

* * *

For the next few days, Harry waited anxiously for Draco's father to write back. Finally, one morning he saw Draco's eagle owl swoop into the Great Hall with a letter attached to its talons. Draco opened the letter and read it quickly. From across the hall, he grinned at Harry and gave him a thumbs up.

Harry immediately went over and sat at the Slytherin table next to Draco and Lucretia.

"What did he say?" Harry asked nervously.

"He wants to come to Hogwarts to meet you," Draco said. "He wants to see how far you have studied ahead and what your plans for the future are. If he's impressed, he said he can pull some strings to get your request granted."

Harry's face lit up. "Thank you so much!" he said to Draco and Lucretia. Draco looked proud of having helped Harry, while Lucretia smiled softly at her betrothed.

"When does he want to meet me?" Harry inquired.

"He said he will come tomorrow because it's a Saturday and we don't have classes," Draco replied.

The rest of the day, Harry could not stop thinking about his impending meeting with Lord Malfoy. He stayed up well into the night reading ahead in his textbooks, hoping to impress him.

The next day, Harry, Draco, and Lucretia walked to Professor Snape's office after breakfast, where Draco's father would be meeting them. As they arrived, Harry heard voices inside the office. He looked nervously at Draco, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Harry," said Draco. "My father will love you."

Harry nodded uncertainly as they entered the office.

"Father!" Draco exclaimed. A man with platinum blonde hair just like Draco's stood next to Snape.

"Hello, Draco," the man said kindly as he gave Draco a hug. "Lucretia," he said as he noticed his daughter and gave her a hug as well.

"Father, this is Harry Potter Black Rosier," said Draco formally, motioning to Harry. "Harry, this is my father, Lord Lucius Malfoy."

Harry bowed his head slightly in respect. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Lucius eyed carefully at Harry. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I have heard much about you from my son and daughter," he said, looking at his children.

"They have been great friends to me," Harry replied.

"I am happy to hear that," Lucius said. "Severus, would you mind if I spoke privately with Mr. Potter in your office for a few minutes?"

Snape shook his head. "Not at all," he replied. "Come, Draco and Lucretia. Let's talk outside."

Snape guided Draco and Lucretia out the door. Lucretia gave Harry a small, reassuring smile as she left.

"Why don't you take a seat?" said Lucius smoothly as soon as the door closed. Harry sat down on the chair, attempting to seem as formal and respectful as possible.

"Draco tells me that you are doing very well in all of your classes," said Lucius.

"Yes, sir," said Harry. "I've been working very hard."

"He also said you wish to enter the accelerated program," Lucius continued.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied. "I have been bored in classes, so I have been studying ahead in all of my subjects."

"How far have you studied ahead?" asked Lucius.

"I am about 2/3 of the way through first year," replied Harry honestly. "I hope to finish second year by Christmas."

"Very good," Lucius replied, causing Harry to relax a little bit. "Why do you want to keep studying ahead?"

Harry proceeded to tell Lucius about his plans to take his OWLs and NEWTs early, as well as his desire to achieve multiple masteries before leaving Hogwarts.

After he had finished, Lucius looked at him with a smirk.

"With ambition like that, it's a wonder that you weren't sorted into Slytherin," Lucius commented.

"The hat thought about it," Harry replied honestly. "However, I think my thirst for knowledge won out in the end."

Lucius chuckled at that. "Why don't you show me the spells you have been learning," he suggested.

For the next several minutes, Harry demonstrated his knowledge, just as he had with Flitwick. Finally, Lucius indicated him to stop.

"I have seen enough," Lucius replied. "I am confident that you can handle the accelerated program. I will talk to my contacts in the Ministry and get you the request granted as soon as possible."

Harry grinned. "Thank you so much, Lord Malfoy," he thanked profusely.

Lucius shook his head. "There is no need to thank me," he said. "I already owe you a great debt."

Harry looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean, sir?"

Lucius sighed before replying. "During You-Know-Who's reign of terror, the Dark Lord killed my father, Abraxus, and put me under the Imperius Curse."

Harry's eyes widened in shock. He had recently read about the Imperius Curse.

"He controlled me and forced me to do whatever he wanted," Lucius admitted. "However, when you defeated him, I was freed. For that, I am in your debt."

"I am sorry that happened to you," Harry said. "But you don't owe me anything. I don't even know how I survived that night."

Lucius smiled. "Nevertheless, it is because of you that I am free. So thank you."

"You are welcome, Lord Malfoy," Harry said politely.

"Please, call me Lucius," he replied. "You are betrothed to my daughter, which means we will be family. In addition, it seems that your mother was actually my wife's cousin, which means we already are family."

"Thank you, Lucius," Harry said.

Lucius smiled. "You are welcome. I am happy I was able to meet you. If I may ask a question, do you have any plans for the Christmas holidays?"

Harry shook his head. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I would like to invite you to spend the Christmas holidays with my family at Malfoy Manor," Lucius said.

Harry grinned widely. "I would love to!" he replied.

"Very good. I am sure Draco and Lucretia especially will be pleased," Lucius said. "If there is anything that you need, please do not hesitate to contact me."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Thank you again for all of your help," he said as he left the room.

* * *

A few days later, Harry was eating breakfast when an owl landed on the table in front of him with a letter addressed to him tied to its talons. Harry quickly untied the letter and read it.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _The Ministry has granted your request to enter the accelerated program at Hogwarts. The Headmaster and your professors will be notified of the decision shortly. I wish you the best of luck._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lucius Malfoy._

Harry grinned. He had done it! As he looked around the hall, he noticed owls flying to each of the professors. As the professors read their letters, their faces reflected shock. One by one, they turned to stare at Harry in surprise. Dumbledore looked at Harry with a look of annoyance and frustration on his face. The twinkle in his eye was noticeably absent.

Just then, Harry's train of thought was interrupted by Roger.

"Blimey, Harry, you're in the Daily Prophet!" he exclaimed. Harry grabbed the newspaper to look. There was, in fact, an article about him.

 _HARRY POTTER BLACK ROSIER ACCEPTED INTO PRESTIGIOUS HOGWARTS ACCELERATED PROGRAM!_

 _It was revealed today that the boy who lived, Harry Potter Black Rosier, Lord of Houses Potter, Black, and Rosier, was granted admittance into the prestigious accelerated program at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to sources, Mr. Potter has shown extraordinary talent in his first month at Hogwarts, leading him to request admittance to the accelerated program._

 _"Harry is extremely talented and intelligent," said esteemed businessman Lord Lucius Malfoy of Mr. Potter. "He has already mastered the first-year material in all of his classes. I have no doubt that he will succeed in the accelerated program."_

 _Many of Hogwart's most accomplished alumni have participated in the accelerated program. However, Mr. Potter is the first participant in the program in over a century. We at the Daily Prophet wish Mr. Potter the best as he begins this exciting phase of his education._

Harry grinned. Lucius must have tipped off the press. Everyone knew now and there was no going back.

Excited murmurs began to sweep throughout the Great Hall as the students read the news of Harry's acceptance into the accelerated program. Harry tried to hide his proud grin as dozens of eyes turned to watch him.

Just then, Professor Flitwick descended from the staff table and came to stand next to Harry.

"The Professor would like to see you in his office after dinner tonight, Mr. Potter," Flitwick told Harry.

Harry nodded seriously. Inside, he was excited for the confrontation. He wanted to prove the Headmaster wrong and put him in his place.

* * *

After dinner, Harry trudged up the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore coldly.

"Good evening," Harry replied politely.

"I see you were able to get into the accelerated program after all," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, sir," said Harry. He didn't want to say more than was strictly necessary.

"I urge you to reconsider your decision," Dumbledore said. "I firmly believe that this is not the best option for you."

Harry was growing angry, although he hid it well. "I respect your opinion, Headmaster, but I have made up my mind already," Harry replied.

Dumbledore merely looked at Harry, showing no emotion. However, Harry suspected that he was annoyed with him.

"Very well," Dumbledore said coldly. "I have brought each of your professors here to discuss your new schedule."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"You will continue to attend classes with the rest of your yearmates," said Dumbledore. "However, during class, you will be doing self-study. When the professor is giving a lecture, you are to study out of your textbook. During the practical portions of class, you are free to practice whatever you have been studying. This way, the professors will be able to supervise you in case you make a mistake."

Harry nodded as Dumbledore continued.

"You will meet with each of your professors once a week outside of class to review your progress. I will leave it up to you to schedule that time with each of your professors."

"I understand, sir," Harry replied.

"As for the pace of your study," Dumbledore continued. "You have expressed a desire to finish the second-year curriculum by Christmas holidays. Therefore, in order to meet that schedule, you will have your first-year exams the week of October 21."

Harry nodded. That was only a few weeks away. He would have to study hard to meet the deadline.

"That is acceptable to me," Harry replied bravely.

Dumbledore continued on, full speed ahead. "After Christmas holidays, you will begin third year, which includes your electives. Have you given any thoughts to which electives you would like to take?" he asked Harry.

Harry nodded. "I would like to take Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, sir," he replied. "I would also like to take Care of Magical Creatures. However, I understand that is a very hands-on class that is not suited to self-study. I would like to take that class with the rest of my year-mates two years from now."

Dumbledore nodded sharply. "Very well," Dumbledore said. "Also, by way of caution. If your grades do not meet expectations, we reserve the right to remove you from the accelerated program."

Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore was trying to say. He was threatening Harry. He had not wanted Harry in the program in the first place and would jump at any reason to remove Harry from it.

"You won't have any problems from me," Harry promised.

"I hope not," Dumbledore said ominously. "I believe that is all for tonight, Mr. Potter. I suggest you head to the library and get back to studying."

Harry nodded politely at the Headmaster. "Yes, sir," he said coldly before exiting the office.

As he walked, Harry grinned to himself. He knew the Headmaster was frustrated with him, but there was nothing he could do. He was in the accelerated program! This was the first step towards achieving the ambitious goals that he had set for himself. Now that he had his foot in the door, he would not fail. Dumbledore would, no doubt, look for any excuse to bring him down. But Harry would not give him any chance. Of that he was certain.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If any of you noticed, I did borrow some elements from basketball and football to describe the defensive strategies in Quidditch. Also, I hope you enjoyed Harry's confrontations with Dumbledore. This will set up Harry's opposition to Dumbledore for the rest of the story.**

 **A quick note about the Malfoys. As you probably noticed, Lucius is much different than in canon. In this story, he actually was put under the Imperius. He does support pureblood rights, but he didn't necessarily support Voldemort in the war.**

 **Harry is also a very quick learner in this story. He is essentially progressing twice as fast as everyone else. While he does pick things up very quickly, he will have to put in a lot of work before he becomes uber powerful.**

 **Also, if anyone is capable and interested in making a cover image for this story, please PM me.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

"Alright, listen up!" shouted Bradley Chambers, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

The entire team was sitting inside the Ravenclaw locker room, ready to start their first Quidditch match of the season against Gryffindor. Harry sat nervously at his locker. He was already dressed in his blue and black uniform, which had POTTER sewn onto the back. In his hand was a brand-new Nimbus 2000 that he had recently purchased via owl order. Dumbledore had allowed the four first-year players to purchase their own brooms.

Harry looked around at his fellow teammates. In their hands were new Nimbus 2000's as well. Harry had purchased a new broom for every single member of the team. He had plenty of money laying around, so he decided he wanted to give his team the best possible shot at victory.

"This is what we've been training for all year," shouted Bradley. "We know how Gryffindor plays. Their Keeper, Wood, is the best Keeper Gryffindor has seen in a long time. We need to keep the pressure on him," he said, looking at Roger and Harry, who nodded in understanding.

"The three Chasers, Spinnet, Johnson, and Bell, are talented, but they rely too much on the Hawkshead attacking formation. All we need to do is disrupt that from behind, something I am confident we can do with the speed of our new brooms," Bradley continued, grinning at Harry.

"Beaters, keep the pressure on the Chasers while we are disrupting their formation. Page, we will do our best to stop them before they get a shot off, but if they do, don't let anything through. Stretton, we will try to build you a nice comfortable lead before you spot the Snitch."

The various players nodded in understanding of the game plan.

"Good. One last thing. This game is ours to lose. I know we are the better team, so let's get out there and prove that to the rest of Hogwarts!" Bradley shouted, earning cheers from the rest of the team. He stood up and headed towards the door, followed by his teammates. Harry stood up nervously and followed, with Roger just behind him. Finally, they stepped out onto the pitch and into the bright October sunlight. Everyone mounted their brooms and flew towards center pitch, where Madam Hooch and the Gryffindor team were already waiting.

"AND HERE COMES THE RAVENCLAW TEAM!" shouted an extremely loud voice from the stands. Harry recognized the announcer as Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor.

"AT KEEPER, GRANT PAGE! BEATERS, DUNCAN INGLEBEE AND JASON SAMUELS! SEEKER, JEREMY STRETTON! CAPTAIN AND CHASER, BRADLEY CHAMBERS! AND THE YOUNGEST CHASERS IN OVER A CENTURY, ROGER DAVIES AND HARRY POTTER BLACK ROSIER!"

The Ravenclaw student section screamed and cheered as the team was announced, causing Harry to smile slightly. He took his position in between Bradley and Roger, around the center circle. Madam Hooch stood on the pitch with the chest of balls, many feet below them.

"I want a good, clean game," shouted Madam Hooch. "From all of you!"

Harry did not move a muscle, but merely stared intensely at the three female Gryffindor Chasers across from him. Finally, Madam Hooch opened the chest and released the Bludgers and the Snitch. She suddenly blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle straight up in the air.

Immediately, Harry raced forward on his broom and snatched the Quaffle. Directly in front of him was one of the Gryffindor Chasers. Harry immediately rolled upside down in order to narrowly avoid her. As soon as he had cleared her, a Bludger came racing toward him, which he had to roll again to avoid. The pitch was clear in front of him, causing him to race forward at top speed, leaving everyone else behind him.

"POTTER GRABS THE QUAFFLE AND… OH MY! POTTER PERFORMS A DOUBLE SLOTH GRIP ROLL TO AVOID SPINNET AND THE BLUDGER! HE'S GOT A BREAKAWAY! MERLIN, HE'S FAST! IS THAT A NIMBUS 2000 HE HAS?" shouted Lee Jordan from the stands.

Harry tuned it all out as he approached the posts. Instinctively, he sped up even more, pushed himself up onto his broom and jumped forward, off of his broom, into the air as high as he could as his broom kept pace before him. As he soared, he brought his arm back and shot the Quaffle as fast as he could. The Quaffle whizzed through the air and towards the left hoop. The Gryffindor Keeper dove for it but came up far short. Harry's shot was much too fast.

"MERLIN'S BALLS!" exclaimed Lee Jordan from the stands, earning him a smack on the head from Professor McGonagall, who stood beside him. "POTTER JUST PULLED OFF THE CHELMONDISTON CHARGE! 10-0 RAVENCLAW! HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE PULL THAT OFF?"

The Ravenclaw section burst into cheers, while the rest of the crowd remained in silence, shocked at the impressive move that Harry had just performed.

The Gryffindor Chasers regrouped quickly and formed the Hawkshead formation, the three of them lumped together in a triangle formation. Harry rapidly approached from behind. He heard Bradley yell, "NOW!" Immediately, he raced forward, in between Johnson and Spinnet, and punched the Quaffle out of Spinnet's hand. The Quaffle soared directly towards Roger, who deftly caught it and raced towards the Gryffindor hoops.

"POTTER BREAKS UP THE FORMATION AND PUNCHES THE BALL TO DAVIES, WHO HAS A BREAKAWAY!" yelled Lee. "DAVIES SHOOTS AND… SCORES! 20-0 RAVENCLAW!"

Harry gave a quick fist pump at seeing his friend score a goal. Roger quickly returned to play defense, settling alongside Harry and Bradley.

The rest of the game continued the same way. The Ravenclaw Chasers, led by Harry's impressive performance, continued to dominate. Time after time, they broke up the Gryffindor Chasers' Hawkshead attacking formation, causing them to lose control of the Quaffle and give up easy points to Ravenclaw. After twenty minutes, the score was 130-10 in favor of Ravenclaw.

Seeing that their strategy wasn't working, the Gryffindor team attempted a new offense, abandoning the Hawkshead formation. At this point, the Ravenclaw Chasers began playing man-to-man defense, playing very physically and attempting to keep the Gryffindors away from the center of pitch and towards the sidelines. The Ravenclaw Beaters pummeled the Gryffindor team, causing numerous errors on the part of the Chasers.

After an hour, the score was 300-30 in favor of Ravenclaw. Harry had already scored 150 points, while Roger had 100 points and Bradley had 50. The entire crowd was in shock at the beating Gryffindor was taking. Their Chasers were thought to be the best at Hogwarts, but two first years were picking them apart.

Finally, the Ravenclaw Seeker, Jeremy Stretton, caught sight of the Snitch and raced after it. The Gryffindor Seeker was on the other side of the pitch, giving Ravenclaw a huge advantage. After several tense moments, Stretton's fingers closed around the Snitch, which he held up to the crowd.

"RAVENCLAW CATCHES THE SNITCH," Lee Jordan commented dejectedly. "RAVENCLAW WINS, 450-30."

The Ravenclaw student section was going crazy, and soon they began chanting, "POTTER, DAVIES, POTTER, DAVIES!"

Harry grinned wildly from atop his broom, glorying in the attention. He pumped his fist into the air in joy, causing the crowd to cheer even louder. The team descended and met at center pitch, where they wildly mobbed and hugged each other.

"That's what I'm talking about!" the captain shouted confidently. "The House Cup is ours this year! There's no stopping us!"

The upperclassmen slapped Harry and Roger on the shoulders and tussled their hair and they all walked back towards the Ravenclaw locker room, brooms slung over their shoulders. They undressed and took long, hot showers, relaxing their tired and sore muscles. Finally, Harry left his shower and got dressed. When everyone was done, they walked out of the locker room together, headed towards the castle.

As Harry walked out, he was shocked to see Draco and Lucretia waiting outside. Behind them stood Lucius Malfoy and a beautiful blonde woman that Harry assumed was his wife, Narcissa.

"Harry!" shouted Draco excitedly. Harry smiled nervously and walked over to the family. When he arrived, Draco promptly punched him on the shoulder.

"Merlin's beard, Harry," Draco exclaimed. "You were a devil out there! How did you pull off the Chelmondiston Charge?"

"Calm yourself, Draco," said Lucius Malfoy with a chuckle.

"Hello, sir," Harry said respectfully as he shook Lucius's hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Hello, Harry," Lucius replied. "Let me introduce you to my beautiful wife, Narcissa," he said, gesturing to the woman at his side. Harry grasped her hand and kissed the back of it.

"It's a pleasure, my lady," he said politely.

"Likewise," Narcissa replied. "You have excellent manners. Draco could learn a thing or two from you."

"Hey!" protested Draco, causing everyone to chuckle.

"I didn't realize you had come to watch the game," Harry said to Lucius.

"I'm glad we did," he replied. "You had an excellent game, Harry. If I am not mistaken, you set the record for most points scored by a Chaser in his first game."

Harry's eyes widened in shock at hearing the fact.

"If I may ask," Lucius continued, "where did your team get those Nimbus 2000's?"

Harry smiled shyly. "I bought them for the team," he admitted.

"Wow," said Lucius. "That must have cost a pretty penny."

Harry shrugged. "I had more than enough," he said plainly.

"I'm a little worried about the Slytherin team," Narcissa admitted, causing Draco to protest again.

"Although Harry is family as well, so I guess I will be happy if Ravenclaw wins the Quidditch Cup too," Lucius said with a smile.

"Thank you for coming," Harry said politely. "I really appreciate it."

"You are very welcome," Narcissa replied. "It was our pleasure. And I am excited to hear that you will be joining us for the Christmas holiday."

Harry nodded. "I am looking forward to it," he replied.

"Well, we don't want to keep you any longer," Lucius said. "Congratulations on the win. We will see you at Christmas."

With that, he shook Harry's hand and guided his family away. Suddenly, Lucretia walked up to him with a demure smile on her face. She leaned forward and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Congrats, Harry," she said, pulling back. "You were amazing." She then turned around and walked away, joining her family. Harry stood frozen and speechless. He put a hand to his cheek, feeling the spot where she had just kissed him. After several long seconds, he grinned, before jogging towards the castle to catch up to the rest of his teammates.

* * *

The entire Ravenclaw house was ecstatic for the rest of the day. When Harry got back to the common room, a huge crowd burst into cheers. A mug of butterbeer was shoved into Harry's hands, which he accepted gratefully. As he made his way through the crowd, dozens of students clapped him on the back in congratulations.

Finally, he spotted Roger on the far side of the common room and made his way over to him.

"Blimey, Harry, this is crazy!" exclaimed Roger. "We're celebrities!"

Harry chuckled. Roger was obviously excited about the attention.

"Just imagine, we have seven more years of this," joked Harry, causing Roger to grin even wider.

The party continued for several hours, until dinner time rolled around. One by one, the students made their way down to the Great Hall, still full of butterbeer.

As Harry and Roger sat down at the Ravenclaw table, Harry glanced around to see the reactions of the rest of the school. The Gryffindors were absolutely despondent. The Gryffindor Keeper, Oliver Wood, had a blank, shell-shocked look on his face. Harry was amused to see that some Gryffindors were actually angry. One first year, a red head named Ron Weasley, was glaring at Harry with rage. Next to him, a know-it-all first year with bushy hair named Hermione Granger was totally oblivious to the drama as she sat reading a book.

The Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables were quieter than usual, with many of the students eyeing Harry and Roger with trepidation. They were anxious about their teams playing Ravenclaw in the future.

At the Hufflepuff table, Harry made eye contact with Susan, who smiled shyly back at him and gave him a thumbs up in congratulations. She was the shyest of his three betrotheds, but the kindest as well. She was slowly but surely becoming more comfortable around him.

As he turned to the Slytherin table, he also made eye contact with Lucretia, who smiled flirtatiously back at him. Harry blushed, still thinking of how she had kissed him on the cheek earlier. His relationship with Lucretia was the strongest of his three betrotheds. She was outgoing and flirtatious. Draco claimed that she was very ambitious and manipulative as well, but Harry had yet to see that side of her, if it even existed.

Daphne, however, refused to even look at him. Harry sighed in frustration. He had gotten off on the right foot with Daphne, especially after helping her in their first transfiguration class. Over the past month, however, she had grown more distant and closed off. She always sat with a brunette first year named Tracey Davis, who seemed to be her best friend. With Harry, however, she became cold and distant. Harry was worried and had no idea why the sudden change had occurred. He knew he needed to confront her and see what had gone wrong, but he was still reluctant to do so.

After dinner ended, Harry headed to the library to do some revising. He had been accepted into the accelerated program a little over a week ago, and his first-year exams were coming up in another week. Harry was working hard to make sure he finished all of the material by then.

* * *

The following night, Harry headed towards the defense against the dark arts classroom to meet with Professor Quirrell. Even though it was a Sunday, Harry had been studying most of the day. Every night, Harry would meet with a different one of his professors to appraise them of his progress over the past week. He enjoyed the personal time with his professors; it was a perk of the accelerated program. Tonight, he would be meeting with Professor Quirrell for the first time.

Harry entered the classroom that perpetually smelled of garlic. Professor Quirrell was seated at his desk at the front of the classroom, the turban wrapped around his head like always.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," Quirrell said. Harry was surprised. He had managed to greet him without stuttering.

 _Maybe he gets nervous in front of crowds,_ Harry thought to himself.

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said politely. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"It is my pleasure," Quirrell replied. "Because this is our first meeting, why don't you show me how far you have progressed in the material thus far."

Harry nodded and began explaining the concepts he had learned. He was almost done with the entire first year curriculum and would be finishing within the next few days. After Harry was done explaining and demonstrating certain spells, he paused and looked at Quirrell.

Quirrell was staring at him with a look of intense curiosity on his face.

"Very well done," praised Quirrell. He then proceeded to quiz Harry on a few of the principles and concepts he had learned. In addition, he gave pointers on how certain spells could be used in different situations to produce different effects. Harry found it fascinating. Quirrell was much more helpful now than he had ever been during class.

Finally, the meeting ended, and Harry headed out of the classroom after thanking Quirrell. He began walking down the stairs when suddenly, his staircase began to shift. He grabbed the banister for support as the stairs moved. After several moments, it stopped moving and arrived at a strange looking corridor that Harry had never visited. Curious, Harry descended the rest of the stairs to explore the corridor. As he reached the end, however, he suddenly felt the need to turn around and go back to his common room.

Without questioning, he quickly turned around and took a few steps. Before he could go any farther, he suddenly stopped.

 _Why am I turning around?_ he thought to himself. He turned back to the corridor and approached it cautiously. As he neared the end, he suddenly felt a very subtle presence of magic in the air. Once again, he was met with the desire to turn around, which he recognized and ignored.

 _This must be a repelling ward!_ Harry realized. He had recently read about wards in one of his library books and recognized the effects. _Why is there a repelling ward inside the school, though?_ he asked himself.

Determined, Harry continued forward until he entered the corridor and the effects of the ward had worn off. After he had passed the ward boundaries, it stopped influencing him. He walked cautiously down the corridor, passing numerous open doors, which he ignored. Finally, he came to a closed wooden door. Curious, he tried opening it, only to find it locked.

Even more determined, he pulled out his wand and muttered, "Alohamora!"

The lock clicked open and Harry slowly pushed open the door. It was dark inside, but Harry could make out a huge object in the middle of the room. Suddenly, the object moved, and Harry perceived what it really was: a giant, three-headed dog. Its eyes snapped opened and focused on Harry. It rapidly jumped to its feet and pounced after Harry, growling viciously.

His heart pounding, Harry jumped back and slammed the door shot, reapplying the locking charm. Harry back down the hallway several meters before collapsing against the wall in an attempt to catch his breath.

 _What in the hell is a giant Cerberus doing in a castle full of children?_ Harry thought to himself furiously. He replayed the memory in his mind. As he did so, he recognized a detail he had been overlooking: a wooden trap door underneath the dog. It was guarding something, he realized.

A grin began to slowly form on Harry's face. Obviously, the Headmaster was hiding something, and Harry was going to discover what it was. He had placed the repelling ward and the Cerberus there in hopes of warding off intruders, but Harry was not so easily dissuaded. Dumbledore would never see it coming.

* * *

For the next week, Harry had no time to explore the mystery further. He was busy revising for his first-year exams. Dumbledore had scheduled all of his tests for Saturday and Sunday. Harry was able to finish all of the material and thanks to his photographic memory, he had little trouble retaining the information. He was confident that he would do extremely well on the theory portions of the exams. Therefore, he spent most of his free time practicing and mastering the practical aspects of each subject.

By the time Saturday arrived, Harry had memorized and mastered every spell, charm, and transfiguration in his textbooks. He was confident that he would perform very well on the exams.

On Saturday morning, Harry woke up early and went to the Charms classroom to meet Professor Flitwick. There, he first completed the theory portion while being monitored by Flitwick, before moving onto the practical portion. Just as Harry had predicted, he sailed through the exam. Flitwick was excited as Harry easily demonstrated each charm. Harry then waited patiently as the professor quickly evaluated his written portion.

"Well done, Mr. Potter!" exclaimed Flitwick. "You have earned an O+! You have proven that you definitely belong in the accelerated program!"

Harry grinned upon hearing of his O+ score. Over the next 2 days, Harry repeated the process with each of his subjects, including Astronomy on Saturday night. It was exhausting, but Harry was ecstatic. He had earned on Outstanding on every single one of his exams. He was proud of himself, but knew he still had a lot of work to do.

With his exams out of the way, Harry finally had time to focus on other things. He had already begun working through the second-year curriculum, knowing that his second-year exams were only two months away.

However, he had more pressing issues on his mind. He had begun research about Cerberuses and how to subdue or defeat one. So far, all he could find was that it was classified as an XXX Creature by the Ministry of Magic. He had seen one reference about music being played in order to subdue and calm down the Cerberus. Harry was eager to test that theory out.

His other pressing concern was the situation with Daphne. She continued with her distant behavior. Several times, he had gone out of his way to try and help her during class, but she refused his help every time. She didn't seem particularly angry or upset with him; rather, she seemed completely indifferent. That was what worried Harry the most.

He had discussed the problem with his three best friends and they were as clueless as him.

"Maybe she just hates you," suggested Roger one day.

"Shut up," Harry replied jokingly.

"Yeah," agreed Draco. "Not everyone is in love with you, Harry."

Harry shook his head in exasperation as he friends continued to tease him. However, he continued to think about how he could get Daphne to open up to him. After a while, he came to the conclusion that he needed to talk to her alone and ask what he had done wrong.

It took him several days to work up the courage, but he finally approached her. It was Halloween, October 31, when he decided to talk to her. They had just finished their Transfiguration lesson and were heading out of the classroom for their next class.

"Daphne!" Harry called from behind, trying to catch up to her. She turned calmly and gave him a cold stare.

"Yes?" she said smoothly.

"Do you think we can talk after class?" Harry said nervously. "There's something I really need to talk to you about."

Daphne continued eyeing him, showing no indication of what she was feeling. Finally, after several long moments, she nodded in assent.

"Thank you," breathed Harry. "Meet me in the abandoned classroom by the defense classroom at 5:00," he said.

Daphne nodded and turned back to her friend Tracey, who had been waiting for her. Together, they walked away, leaving Harry to his thoughts.

The rest of the day passed extremely slowly for Harry, who was anxious for his meeting with Daphne. Finally, his last class let out, and he hurried to the abandoned classroom to wait for Daphne.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and Daphne walked in. Harry watched her carefully as she entered.

 _She really is beautiful_ , Harry thought to himself. She had long, blonde hair that was currently tied back into a ponytail.

Daphne stopped a few feet short of Harry and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"What did you want to talk about?" she said abruptly. Harry inwardly cringed at her tone of voice.

"Do you want to sit down?" he replied, gesturing to a chair at her side.

"I prefer to stand," she responded.

"Okay," Harry said slowly. "I wanted to ask you what I did wrong to make you mad at me."

Daphne shook her head in exasperation. "What makes you think I am mad at you?" she asked.

"You always seem to be avoiding me," replied Harry. "Whenever I try to talk to you, it is very obvious that you don't want to talk to me."

Daphne chuckled, her first sign of emotion. "So that makes you think I am angry with you?"

"I just thought…" Harry began.

"That just because I am not in love with you like Lucretia and Susan means that I am angry with you? Let me tell you a little secret: I'm not angry with you. I just don't care about you," Daphne retorted.

"I never said that I expected you to be in love with me!" Harry exclaimed.

"But you thought it," Daphne replied. "You think you are perfect and that I should consider myself lucky to be betrothed to you," she said angrily.

"I don't think that!" Harry defended. "Look, I know you're not happy to be stuck in a marriage contract with me. But I am just trying to get to know you and be friends!"

Daphne shook her head angrily at Harry's statement. Despite her earlier claim that she wasn't angry and didn't care, Harry could tell that she was, actually, very angry and did, in fact, care very much. She was so angry that Harry swore he could see tears glinting in her eyes.

"I don't care!" she exclaimed. "Just leave me alone from now on!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom, leaving a confused Harry in her wake.

Harry was stunned. _What just happened?_ he thought to himself. He had tried to be nice, but she had exploded on him. He didn't think he was perfect, but it was obvious that Daphne thought he was arrogant. In addition, Harry had the sneaking suspicion that Daphne was jealous of Lucretia and Susan.

Shaking his head, Harry headed out of the classroom and down to the Great Hall, where the Halloween feast was underway. Halloween had always been a sad holiday for Harry because of the death of his parents. However, he was trying to make the best of it. He looked over at the Slytherin table and was unsurprised to see that Daphne had not come to the feast.

He sat down next to Roger and began eating, trying to ignore Roger's questioning look. They were about halfway through the feast when suddenly Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall.

"Troll!" he exclaimed nervously. "Th-there's a troll in the dungeon. Thought you should know."

With that, he fell forward and fainted on the stone floor. Immediately, the Great Hall erupted into chaos.

"Silence!" boomed Dumbledore from the head table. "Prefects, please lead your houses back to the common room. Professors, with me!"

Students began pushing and shoving to follow their prefects out of the Great Hall. All of a sudden, a chill gripped Harry's heart. Daphne wasn't at the feast, and he was willing to bet she was in the dungeons somewhere, ignorant of the troll's presence.

He forcefully pushed his way through the crowd and ran down to the dungeons. He was just arriving when he heard a girl's scream and a loud crash. Harry immediately sprinted towards the source of the scream. He arrived at the girl's bathroom, where a giant troll had smashed down the wall with its huge wooden club. Inside, Harry could see Daphne, huddled inside one of the stalls. She was holding one of her arms and it looked like she was injured.

Harry dashed into the bathroom as the troll lifted its club, preparing for another strike. Harry reached Daphne and pulled her out of the stall just as the troll smashed the empty stall. Unfortunately, the troll now stood between the two first years and the bathroom exit.

Harry backed his way into the corner and guided Daphne behind him, trying to protect her from the troll as much as possible. He drew his wand and racked his brain, trying to think of any spell that he could use. He could feel Daphne shaking and crying behind him.

Suddenly, he looked at the troll's giant wooden club and had an idea. The club reminded him of the matchstick he had transfigured into a needle during his first transfiguration lesson. It was much bigger and would require a lot more power, but it was his best shot.

Waving his wand, he summoned all the power he could and transfigured the wooden club into a massive sword. He staggered at the loss of magic he suddenly experienced. The transfiguration, however, was successful. Using the last magic in his system, he shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The metal sword rose from the troll's hand. Harry quickly guided it in front of the troll and with a sudden flick of his wand, thrust it through the troll's torso. The troll gave a pained groan, staggered, and collapsed to the floor, dead.

Harry dropped to one knee, struggling to stay conscious amidst his magical exhaustion. Summoning all his willpower and strength, he stood back up and turned to Daphne.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I think my arm's broken," Daphne said, trying to control her sobs.

Just then, Dumbledore and several professors burst into the bathroom. They saw the troll, dead on the floor with giant sword protruding from its back. They looked at Daphne and Harry with questioning eyes.

"What happened here?" McGonagall demanded. "Why aren't you two back in your common rooms?"

"It was my fault," Harry said quickly, looking at Daphne. "Daphne and I had an argument before dinner, and she didn't come to the feast. I realized she didn't know about the troll, so I came looking for her. When I found her, the troll was already here, attacking her. I had to kill it to protect her."

"You killed the troll?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Yes, sir," Harry said. "I transfigured its club into a sword."

Just then, he stumbled a little bit, still trying to maintain consciousness.

Professor Flitwick was immediately at his side, holding him up.

"It appears you are on the brink of magical exhaustion," Flitwick said. "We need to get you to the infirmary."

"I'm okay!" Harry insisted. "Daphne's the one who's injured!"

The professors turned to look at Daphne, finally noticing her injured arm. Flitwick rushed to her side, examining her arm.

"Let's get you both to the infirmary," he said, guiding them both to the exit. "Fifty points to Ravenclaw for your actions."

Harry was too tired to respond. He could barely keep his eyes open. By some miracle, he was able to make it all the way to the infirmary without passing out. He lay down on one of the beds while Madam Pomfrey began tending to Daphne. After a few minutes, she handed him a potion.

"Drink this," she said. "It's a Pepper Up Potion. You'll feel much better."

Nodding, Harry slowly downed the potion. Immediately, he felt his energy increase and he no longer drifted on the brink of unconsciousness. His eyes, however, were still heavy from exhaustion. He turned on his side and watched Madam Pomfrey work on Daphne. After several minutes, she stepped back and addressed them.

"You will both be fine," she said reassuringly. "But I want you both to stay overnight so I can be sure."

Harry nodded, not in any mood to get out of the bed.

"Miss Greengrass, the Headmaster has summoned your parents. They will be here shortly to see you," Madam Pomfrey said. That got Harry's attention – that meant he would be meeting Daphne's parents. As if this day wasn't stressful enough…

A few moments later, the Hospital Wing doors opened to reveal a man, woman, and a young girl. They hurriedly walked up to Daphne.

"Are you okay, Daphne?" the woman asked quickly.

"I'm okay now, Mother," Daphne said reassuringly. Surprisingly, she didn't use the cold tone that she adopted when talking to Harry. Rather, she used a warm, loving tone of voice.

"Dumbledore told us what happened," her father said from beside the bed. "How could this have happened? You almost died!" he exclaimed angrily.

"I'm okay, Father," Daphne replied. "Harry was there to save me."

Suddenly, all eyes fell on Harry.

"Mr. Potter Black Rosier," Daphne's father said. "We owe you our thanks for saving Daphne's life. I am Cyrus Greengrass, Daphne's father."

Harry fought his exhaustion and struggled to sit up, something that was not missed by Daphne's parents.

"You don't owe me anything," Harry replied. "It was my fault Daphne missed the feast in the first place. We got into an argument before dinner," he explained truthfully.

"Be that as it may," Cyrus Greengrass responded, "you still saved her life. Thank you."

"You are welcome," said Harry. His eyes became unbearably heavy as he fought to keep them open.

"Why don't you rest," Daphne's mother, Alexandra, said to Harry. "You can barely keep your eyes open."

Unable to protest, Harry lay back on his pillow and succumbed to his exhaustion.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cyrus Greengrass asked Daphne again.

"Yes, Father. Madam Pomfrey fixed my broken arm. It doesn't even hurt anymore," Daphne replied.

"Thank goodness" Alexandra Greengrass replied. "I'm just glad Harry was there."

"Do you want to tell us what you two were arguing about?" her father questioned.

Daphne looked down at her lap, embarrassed. After a long silence, she spoke up. "He wanted to know why I've been avoiding him and being so cold to him," she admitted.

Daphne's mother sighed in understanding. "Daph," she said gently. "The marriage contracts are not his fault. Give him a chance. It looks like he really cares about you."

Daphne nodded, still looking down at her lap.

"We have to go," said her father. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry," he said. "It will all turn out fine."

Her mother and younger sister, Astoria, both gave her a hug and a kiss before they left the Hospital Wing, leaving Daphne alone with Harry. She looked over at Harry's sleeping form in confusion.

"Thank you," she whispered to herself, before lying back on her bed and going to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. There are a couple of things to take note of in this chapter. First is Quirrell's behavior, which is much different from canon. Obviously, he makes no attempt to jinx Harry's broom in the Quidditch game and is actively teaching Harry during lessons. In the story, Voldemort is intrigued and curious by Harry's talents, abilities, and influence, which is why Quirrell is acting the way he is.**

 **In addition, Harry will not be a Horcrux in this story. There will be Horcruxes, but Harry will not be one of them. This explains why Harry does not get a headache in Quirrell's presence.**


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